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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 116 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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. field — for sport
  3. saw — the tool
  4. charge — electricity
  5. wake — a trail
  6. charge — a price
  7. field — farmland
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. march — the month
  11. club — for golf
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. field — a subject
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. vault — a safe
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. club — a group
  18. charge — in control
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. saw — the tool
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. march — music
  23. march — the month
  24. club — for dancing

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