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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. board — to get on
  3. track — to keep track
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. field — a subject
  7. rash — a series
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. spring — a coil
  10. spring — the season
  11. track — a song
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rash — hasty
  14. field — farmland
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. track — a path
  17. spring — of water
  18. field — for sport
  19. tube — the underground
  20. tube — a container
  21. board — a committee
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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