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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. suit — to fit
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. vault — a safe
  6. suit — clothes
  7. branch — a division
  8. bank — for money
  9. suit — in cards
  10. field — a subject
  11. bank — for money
  12. field — for sport
  13. spring — the season
  14. chip — to eat
  15. spring — a coil
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bulb — for light
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. chip — for betting
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. spring — of water
  24. branch — of a tree

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