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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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Word bank
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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: vault · bear · bowl · field · firm · march

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. march — the month
  5. bear — the animal
  6. firm — decided
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. march — the month
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. field — farmland
  13. field — a subject
  14. firm — steady
  15. field — for sport
  16. march — music
  17. firm — a company
  18. vault — in gymnastics

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