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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 stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. field — for sport
  3. firm — decided
  4. root — of a plant
  5. spring — of water
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. spring — the season
  8. vault — a safe
  9. tube — a container
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. firm — steady
  12. firm — a company
  13. tube — the underground
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. root — of a word
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. root — the cause
  19. bass — the fish
  20. field — farmland
  21. field — a subject
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bass — low music
  24. spring — a coil

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