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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. root — of a plant
  3. pass — a permit
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. root — of a word
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pit — a hole
  12. field — farmland
  13. root — the cause
  14. fork — in a road
  15. field — a subject
  16. field — for sport
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. kick — in football
  23. pit — in a race
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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