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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bank — for money
  5. chip — to eat
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. bank — for money
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. fork — in a road
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bank — of a river
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. chip — for betting
  16. vault — a safe
  17. field — farmland
  18. wind — moving air
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. field — for sport
  22. wind — moving air
  23. field — a subject
  24. mouse — for a computer

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