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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. field — for sport
  3. can — a tin
  4. face — part of the head
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. face — to point toward
  8. date — the fruit
  9. field — farmland
  10. spell — letters
  11. face — to confront
  12. can — a tin
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. club — for dancing
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. spell — a short time
  17. spell — magic
  18. vault — a safe
  19. field — a subject
  20. club — a group
  21. firm — decided
  22. club — for golf
  23. firm — steady
  24. firm — a company

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