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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. vault — a safe
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. key — in music
  5. drill — army training
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. row — to paddle
  8. squash — the sport
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. key — the most important part
  11. field — for sport
  12. squash — to crush
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. drill — the tool
  17. row — a line
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. key — for a lock
  21. field — farmland
  22. drill — a practice
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. coach — a trainer

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