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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. degree — temperature
  3. rock — a stone
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. prune — to trim
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. rash — a series
  8. degree — an amount
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. field — farmland
  12. ball — a dance
  13. prune — to trim
  14. rash — hasty
  15. ball — a great time
  16. field — a subject
  17. rock — music
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. degree — from a university
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. vault — a safe
  24. field — for sport

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