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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. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. swing — to play on
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. track — a song
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. field — for sport
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. cue — a signal
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. swing — music
  12. stand — to bear
  13. cue — a hint
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. field — farmland
  16. swing — in golf
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. cue — for pool
  19. track — to keep track
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. field — a subject
  23. track — a path
  24. vault — a safe

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