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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. object — an aim
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. object — a thing
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. game — wild animals
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. field — for sport
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. object — to protest
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. rest — what's left
  13. field — a subject
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. rest — a break
  16. field — farmland
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. spring — a coil
  21. vault — a safe
  22. rest — what's left
  23. spring — of water
  24. spring — the season

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