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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. field — for sport
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. pass — a permit
  5. track — a path
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. fine — all right
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. vault — a safe
  12. land — a country
  13. land — ground
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. track — a song
  16. field — a subject
  17. land — to come down
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. field — farmland
  20. kick — in football
  21. track — to keep track
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. perch — the fish
  24. fine — high quality

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