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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. field — a subject
  3. field — for sport
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. clip — to cut
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. clip — for paper
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. bank — for money
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. clip — a video
  14. bank — of a river
  15. field — farmland
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. cell — a phone
  18. cell — in biology
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. vault — a safe
  22. bank — for money
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — for light

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