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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. field — a subject
  3. vault — a safe
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. clip — for paper
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. last — finally
  9. field — for sport
  10. toast — bread
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. last — final
  13. clip — a video
  14. craft — a skill
  15. craft — boats
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. rock — a stone
  18. clip — to cut
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. stock — shares
  21. rock — music
  22. last — to go on
  23. stock — goods
  24. field — farmland

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