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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. charge — in control
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. charge — a price
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. cold — an illness
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. vault — a safe
  11. charge — electricity
  12. field — farmland
  13. cold — not warm
  14. field — a subject
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. stem — to come from
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. sharp — clever
  22. chair — a leader
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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