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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. pop — to visit
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. rash — a series
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. vault — a safe
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. pop — soda
  14. deal — to handle
  15. field — a subject
  16. tube — a container
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. rash — hasty
  20. pop — music
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. tube — the underground
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. field — farmland

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