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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. vault — a safe
  3. field — for sport
  4. face — to confront
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. land — a country
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. kick — in football
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. shower — rain
  11. pitch — completely
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. face — part of the head
  14. field — farmland
  15. field — a subject
  16. face — to point toward
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. land — ground
  22. shower — to wash
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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