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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. vault — a safe
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. saw — the tool
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. branch — a division
  7. field — for sport
  8. field — a subject
  9. swing — to play on
  10. scale — in music
  11. scale — size or range
  12. cap — of ice
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. cap — a lid
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. field — farmland
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. saw — the tool
  20. cap — a hat
  21. swing — music
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. scale — for weighing

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