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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  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 — a safe
  2. suit — clothes
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. squash — to crush
  7. staff — employees
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. field — for sport
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. suit — in cards
  13. band — a music group
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. branch — a division
  16. squash — the sport
  17. band — a ring
  18. field — a subject
  19. suit — to fit
  20. staff — employees
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. staff — a stick
  23. branch — of a tree
  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