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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. field — farmland
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. spring — the season
  6. spring — of water
  7. field — for sport
  8. rule — government
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stock — shares
  11. rock — a stone
  12. wound — an injury
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. rule — a law
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. vault — a safe
  17. rock — music
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. field — a subject
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. wound — an injury
  24. stock — goods

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