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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — a tin
  3. cell — in biology
  4. field — farmland
  5. vault — a safe
  6. chip — to eat
  7. mate — a partner
  8. object — a thing
  9. cell — a phone
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. chip — for betting
  14. field — for sport
  15. field — a subject
  16. mate — to breed
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. object — to protest
  20. can — to be able to
  21. mate — a friend
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. object — an aim
  24. cell — in a prison

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