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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 124 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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. field — a subject
  3. field — farmland
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. vault — a safe
  6. charge — a price
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. roll — a cake
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. wind — moving air
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. wind — moving air
  13. roll — a list
  14. tube — a container
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. tube — the underground
  18. charge — in control
  19. charge — electricity
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. field — for sport
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bear — the animal

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