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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. pitch — completely
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. tube — the underground
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rock — a stone
  8. toast — bread
  9. field — for sport
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. rash — a series
  13. field — farmland
  14. vault — a safe
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. bear — the animal
  18. rash — hasty
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. tube — a container
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bear — the animal
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. rock — music

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