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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. rock — a stone
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. mate — a partner
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. field — for sport
  11. court — of a king
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. rock — music
  14. mate — a friend
  15. mate — to breed
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. vault — a safe
  20. plane — a tool
  21. field — a subject
  22. court — for sport
  23. court — of law
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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