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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. game — a match
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. ball — a dance
  6. field — for sport
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. field — farmland
  11. vault — a safe
  12. content — the amount
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. game — wild animals
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. field — a subject
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. ball — a great time
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. content — happy

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