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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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. field — farmland
  4. fine — high quality
  5. plane — a tool
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. root — of a word
  8. root — the cause
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. tube — a container
  11. field — for sport
  12. tube — the underground
  13. field — a subject
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. vault — a safe
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. root — of a plant
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. fine — all right
  21. chest — of your body
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. chest — of your body
  24. fine — a penalty

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