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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. net — for catching
  3. track — to keep track
  4. field — farmland
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. net — in sport
  8. press — a publisher
  9. field — a subject
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. dip — to sink
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. field — for sport
  19. press — newspapers
  20. track — a path
  21. vault — a safe
  22. press — to push
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. net — after costs

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