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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — the animal
  3. field — for sport
  4. field — a subject
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. game — wild animals
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. vault — a safe
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. field — farmland
  19. game — a match
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. board — to get on
  24. board — a committee

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