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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. fall — the season
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. band — a ring
  5. craft — a skill
  6. mark — a trace
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. vault — a safe
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. field — farmland
  13. pitch — completely
  14. fall — to drop
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. band — a music group
  17. field — for sport
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. fall — to drop
  21. field — a subject
  22. mark — a grade
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — side of the head

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