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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. vault — a safe
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. field — for sport
  6. chip — to eat
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. ground — the earth
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. pit — a hole
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. ground — a position
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. pitch — completely
  19. chip — for betting
  20. pit — in a race
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. bark — to shout
  23. ground — crushed
  24. field — a subject

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