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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 120 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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. field — a subject
  10. pass — a permit
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. vault — a safe
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. field — for sport
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. perch — the fish
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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