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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. object — an aim
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. field — farmland
  6. field — a subject
  7. object — a thing
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. vault — a safe
  10. fork — in a road
  11. tube — the underground
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. court — for sport
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. staff — a stick
  16. court — of law
  17. court — of a king
  18. field — for sport
  19. tube — a container
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. staff — employees
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. object — to protest

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