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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. field — for sport
  4. field — a subject
  5. bank — for money
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. bank — for money
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. file — a document
  10. bound — obliged
  11. vault — a safe
  12. file — a tool
  13. field — farmland
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stand — to bear
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. toast — bread
  20. file — a line of people
  21. bound — certain
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bound — tied together
  24. racket — for tennis

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