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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. file — a tool
  5. file — a line of people
  6. scale — in music
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. field — a subject
  9. scale — size or range
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. dip — to sink
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. bark — to shout
  15. field — for sport
  16. ground — a position
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. file — a document
  20. vault — a safe
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. ground — crushed
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. ground — the earth

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