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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 116 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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. vault — a safe
  3. root — the cause
  4. root — of a plant
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. mark — a trace
  7. scale — in music
  8. chair — a leader
  9. saw — the tool
  10. field — a subject
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. hand — help
  13. field — for sport
  14. mark — a grade
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. scale — size or range
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. root — of a word
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. saw — the tool
  22. hand — in cards
  23. hand — part of the body
  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