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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. fall — the season
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. field — for sport
  5. field — a subject
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. track — to keep track
  8. track — a song
  9. vault — a safe
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. track — a path
  13. cap — of ice
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. fall — to drop
  17. cap — a hat
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. field — farmland
  21. rock — a stone
  22. rock — music
  23. fall — to drop
  24. racket — a loud noise

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