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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. present — the time now
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mate — a friend
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. mate — to breed
  8. bound — certain
  9. present — there
  10. field — for sport
  11. ground — the earth
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. ground — crushed
  14. charge — in control
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. charge — electricity
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bound — tied together
  19. vault — a safe
  20. field — farmland
  21. charge — a price
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. field — a subject
  24. present — a gift

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