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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 no middle ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  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. ground — a position
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. fine — high quality
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. bear — the animal
  7. field — for sport
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. squash — the sport
  10. board — to get on
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. board — a committee
  13. field — farmland
  14. ground — crushed
  15. fine — all right
  16. bear — the animal
  17. squash — to crush
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wax — to grow
  20. field — a subject
  21. ground — the earth
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. board — a flat piece
  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