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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. craft — boats
  4. bulb — for light
  5. degree — an amount
  6. field — farmland
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. lean — to bend
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. field — a subject
  12. bulb — for light
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. sharp — clever
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. degree — temperature
  17. field — for sport
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. lean — thin
  20. degree — from a university
  21. craft — a skill
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. fork — in a road
  24. fork — a garden tool

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