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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. field — farmland
  3. shower — rain
  4. game — a match
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. wound — an injury
  10. rock — music
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. game — wild animals
  14. vault — a safe
  15. drill — the tool
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. field — a subject
  18. drill — a practice
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. wound — an injury
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. shower — to wash
  23. field — for sport
  24. drill — army training

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