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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 120 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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. field — for sport
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. cue — a signal
  8. foot — a measure
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. mark — a grade
  11. chair — a leader
  12. field — farmland
  13. bear — the animal
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. race — a contest
  16. cue — a hint
  17. cue — for pool
  18. race — the arms race
  19. bear — the animal
  20. race — humankind
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. vault — a safe
  23. field — a subject
  24. mark — a trace

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