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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. ball — a great time
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. key — for a lock
  7. field — for sport
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. key — in music
  10. ball — a dance
  11. vault — a safe
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. bore — to drill
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. field — a subject
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. bore — to tire
  20. key — the most important part
  21. fall — the season
  22. field — farmland
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — to drop

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