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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. cold — an illness
  3. charge — in control
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. vault — a safe
  6. field — for sport
  7. cue — a signal
  8. charge — a price
  9. cold — not warm
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. stem — to come from
  12. field — a subject
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. charge — electricity
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. wound — an injury
  18. cue — for pool
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. cue — a hint
  21. wound — an injury
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. safe — out of danger

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