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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. track — a song
  5. track — a path
  6. field — a subject
  7. season — in sport
  8. field — farmland
  9. season — of the year
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. vault — a safe
  12. current — happening now
  13. current — electric
  14. face — to confront
  15. face — to point toward
  16. face — part of the head
  17. current — of water
  18. degree — an amount
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. track — to keep track
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. degree — from a university
  23. degree — temperature
  24. field — for sport

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