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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. field — a subject
  3. root — of a plant
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. club — a group
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. root — the cause
  13. club — for golf
  14. club — for dancing
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. field — farmland
  20. field — for sport
  21. stand — to bear
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. rush — hurry
  24. root — of a word

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