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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. spring — of water
  3. field — farmland
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. field — a subject
  6. kick — in football
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. vault — a safe
  15. bulb — for light
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. field — for sport
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. toast — bread
  22. spring — a coil
  23. spring — the season
  24. stem — to come from

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