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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  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. field — a subject
  2. field — for sport
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. club — for golf
  5. race — a contest
  6. vault — a safe
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. rest — a break
  9. rest — what's left
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. field — farmland
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. race — the arms race
  16. race — humankind
  17. club — for dancing
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. club — a group
  22. wax — to grow
  23. rest — what's left
  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