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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 120 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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. mark — a trace
  4. bound — certain
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. squash — the sport
  7. field — a subject
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. wake — a trail
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. mark — a grade
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. squash — to crush
  16. pit — a hole
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. bound — obliged
  19. pit — in a race
  20. field — farmland
  21. field — for sport
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. bound — tied together

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