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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. field — for sport
  4. field — a subject
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mine — for digging
  7. field — farmland
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. kid — to tease
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. vault — a safe
  12. key — the most important part
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. key — in music
  17. kid — child
  18. chair — a leader
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. key — for a lock
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. mark — a grade

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