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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. field — a subject
  3. vault — a safe
  4. field — for sport
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. suit — in cards
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. tear — to rip
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. tear — from crying
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. suit — to fit
  15. deal — to handle
  16. tear — from crying
  17. suit — clothes
  18. field — farmland
  19. season — in sport
  20. squash — to crush
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. season — of the year
  24. squash — the sport

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