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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. bore — to drill
  3. field — farmland
  4. field — for sport
  5. vault — a safe
  6. spring — of water
  7. field — a subject
  8. land — a country
  9. club — for dancing
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. bore — to tire
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. land — to come down
  15. spring — a coil
  16. spring — the season
  17. land — ground
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. club — for golf
  23. club — a group
  24. racket — for tennis

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