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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. charge — in control
  3. vault — a safe
  4. field — farmland
  5. chip — for betting
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. charge — electricity
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — to trim
  12. wind — moving air
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. wind — moving air
  15. chip — to eat
  16. field — a subject
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. field — for sport
  20. pitch — completely
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. charge — a price
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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