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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 120 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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. degree — temperature
  3. firm — decided
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. game — a match
  7. vault — a safe
  8. tear — to rip
  9. firm — steady
  10. degree — an amount
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. cue — a signal
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. cue — for pool
  15. field — a subject
  16. field — for sport
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. tear — from crying
  19. game — wild animals
  20. firm — a company
  21. cue — a hint
  22. degree — from a university
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. field — farmland

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