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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. club — for golf
  4. club — for dancing
  5. field — farmland
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. field — for sport
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. key — for a lock
  12. key — in music
  13. tube — a container
  14. tube — the underground
  15. key — the most important part
  16. vault — a safe
  17. cue — a signal
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. cue — for pool
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. club — a group
  23. cue — a hint
  24. leaves — lets stay

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