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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. field — a subject
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. craft — a skill
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. court — for sport
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. craft — boats
  14. court — of law
  15. court — of a king
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. field — for sport
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. field — farmland
  20. dip — to sink
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. bulb — for light
  24. vault — a safe

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