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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. charge — electricity
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. mate — a friend
  7. field — farmland
  8. vault — a safe
  9. tube — the underground
  10. last — final
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. mate — to breed
  15. last — finally
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. mate — a partner
  18. field — for sport
  19. charge — in control
  20. last — to go on
  21. tube — a container
  22. charge — a price
  23. field — a subject
  24. racket — for tennis

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