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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. game — a match
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. swing — music
  5. vault — a safe
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. date — the fruit
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. game — wild animals
  13. swing — in golf
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. field — for sport
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. board — a committee
  18. swing — to play on
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. field — farmland
  21. stand — to bear
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. board — to get on

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