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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 120 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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. vault — a safe
  6. scale — in music
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. rest — what's left
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. track — to keep track
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. rest — a break
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. sharp — clever
  17. track — a path
  18. scale — size or range
  19. field — for sport
  20. track — a song
  21. rest — what's left
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  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