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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. bore — to drill
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. pop — music
  8. field — a subject
  9. pop — to visit
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. vault — a safe
  13. cue — for pool
  14. snap — to click
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. bore — to tire
  18. cue — a signal
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. cue — a hint
  22. pop — soda
  23. field — farmland
  24. trunk — of a car

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