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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. vault — a safe
  5. field — for sport
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. field — farmland
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. club — a group
  13. cap — a hat
  14. club — for golf
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. cap — a lid
  17. club — for dancing
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. cap — of ice
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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