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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. field — farmland
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. drill — army training
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. rest — what's left
  13. field — for sport
  14. foot — a measure
  15. vault — a safe
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. rest — a break
  18. date — the fruit
  19. pitch — completely
  20. field — a subject
  21. drill — a practice
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. drill — the tool
  24. pitch — a sales talk

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com