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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. field — a subject
  3. kick — in football
  4. last — finally
  5. field — farmland
  6. last — to go on
  7. mate — a friend
  8. last — final
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. chip — to eat
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. pop — music
  13. stem — to come from
  14. vault — a safe
  15. pop — to visit
  16. field — for sport
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. chip — for betting
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. pop — soda
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. mate — a partner
  24. mate — to breed

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