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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. ground — the earth
  3. vault — a safe
  4. chip — for betting
  5. wind — moving air
  6. ground — crushed
  7. wind — moving air
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. field — for sport
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. pass — a permit
  15. board — a committee
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. chip — to eat
  19. board — to get on
  20. field — farmland
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. field — a subject
  24. temple — side of the head

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