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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 120 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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. pass — a permit
  3. bound — obliged
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. field — for sport
  8. chip — to eat
  9. root — of a word
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bound — tied together
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. chip — for betting
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. field — farmland
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. vault — a safe
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. root — of a plant
  23. bound — certain
  24. root — the cause

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