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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bank — of a river
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. field — farmland
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. mine — for digging
  11. rule — a law
  12. kid — to tease
  13. bank — for money
  14. kid — child
  15. rule — government
  16. game — a match
  17. game — wild animals
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. vault — a safe
  20. bore — to tire
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. field — a subject
  23. field — for sport
  24. bank — for money

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