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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. root — the cause
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. fine — all right
  5. vault — a safe
  6. field — farmland
  7. fork — in a road
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. fine — high quality
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. root — of a word
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. file — a line of people
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. file — a tool
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. field — a subject
  19. field — for sport
  20. root — of a plant
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mine — for digging
  24. fork — a garden tool

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