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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. firm — decided
  3. game — wild animals
  4. field — a subject
  5. wake — a trail
  6. firm — steady
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. field — farmland
  9. vault — a safe
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. cue — a signal
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. field — for sport
  16. row — to paddle
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. row — a line
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cue — for pool
  21. firm — a company
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. game — a match
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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