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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 got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. field — farmland
  3. fall — to drop
  4. chip — for betting
  5. mark — a trace
  6. field — for sport
  7. vault — a safe
  8. bulb — for light
  9. fall — to drop
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. chip — to eat
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. field — a subject
  18. chair — a leader
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. fall — the season
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. perch — the fish

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