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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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. bound — tied together
  4. charge — electricity
  5. field — farmland
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. field — for sport
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. current — of water
  11. bound — certain
  12. vault — a safe
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bound — obliged
  15. race — a contest
  16. race — humankind
  17. current — happening now
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. charge — in control
  20. charge — a price
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. race — the arms race
  23. current — electric
  24. dip — to sink

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