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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. bank — of a river
  3. rock — a stone
  4. field — a subject
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. bank — for money
  7. rock — music
  8. field — for sport
  9. field — farmland
  10. ground — the earth
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. vault — a safe
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. bank — for money
  16. ground — a position
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. sharp — clever
  19. ground — crushed
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. chip — to eat
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. chip — for betting

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