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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. field — farmland
  4. firm — a company
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. cap — a hat
  8. last — to go on
  9. firm — steady
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. last — final
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. cap — a lid
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. last — finally
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. field — a subject
  19. field — for sport
  20. vault — a safe
  21. firm — decided
  22. bat — the animal
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. cap — of ice

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