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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 116 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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. swing — music
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. field — a subject
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. field — for sport
  8. swing — to play on
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. field — farmland
  14. swing — in golf
  15. stand — to bear
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. dip — to sink
  21. vault — a safe
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. pit — in a race
  24. pit — a hole

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