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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. ball — a dance
  3. key — in music
  4. spell — magic
  5. field — for sport
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. key — the most important part
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. spell — letters
  10. court — of law
  11. spell — a short time
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. court — of a king
  14. vault — a safe
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. court — for sport
  17. ball — a great time
  18. tube — the underground
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. key — for a lock
  21. field — farmland
  22. tube — a container
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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