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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  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. pitcher — a jug
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. field — farmland
  4. field — a subject
  5. vault — a safe
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. field — for sport
  11. lie — to recline
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. stock — shares
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. fork — in a road
  20. stock — goods
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. rush — hurry
  23. fork — to eat with
  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