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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 stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. vault — a safe
  5. sharp — clever
  6. wind — moving air
  7. object — a thing
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. object — an aim
  10. wind — moving air
  11. chip — for betting
  12. field — farmland
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. chip — to eat
  20. lie — to recline
  21. field — a subject
  22. object — to protest
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. lie — an untruth

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