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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bear — the animal
  3. tear — from crying
  4. bear — the animal
  5. field — for sport
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. vault — a safe
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. field — farmland
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. field — a subject
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. chip — for betting
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. tear — to rip
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. chip — to eat
  24. bowl — a dish

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