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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. field — a subject
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. date — the fruit
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. ball — a great time
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. craft — a skill
  13. foot — a measure
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. vault — a safe
  18. chair — a leader
  19. ball — a dance
  20. craft — boats
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. field — for sport
  23. field — farmland
  24. ball — a round shape

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