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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. root — the cause
  4. field — farmland
  5. fine — high quality
  6. root — of a plant
  7. root — of a word
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. field — for sport
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. vault — a safe
  14. spring — a coil
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. spring — the season
  18. fine — all right
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. field — a subject
  22. spring — of water
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. bulb — for light

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