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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 120 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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. object — a thing
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. object — an aim
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. charge — in control
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. field — farmland
  10. face — to point toward
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. vault — a safe
  13. face — to confront
  14. pass — a permit
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. content — happy
  17. charge — a price
  18. face — part of the head
  19. field — for sport
  20. field — a subject
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. object — to protest
  23. content — the amount
  24. charge — electricity

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