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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. field — a subject
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. tear — to rip
  7. pop — music
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — from crying
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. field — for sport
  15. vault — a safe
  16. field — farmland
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. mine — for digging
  22. pop — soda
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — a place of worship

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