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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. pop — to visit
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. plane — a tool
  6. roll — a list
  7. squash — the sport
  8. field — a subject
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. squash — to crush
  11. field — farmland
  12. pop — soda
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. pop — music
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. fork — in a road
  18. roll — a cake
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. field — for sport
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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