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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: field · deal · vault · stand · row · bowl

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. row — a line
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. field — farmland
  6. row — to paddle
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. vault — a safe
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. field — a subject
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. field — for sport
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. deal — to handle
  18. stand — to bear

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