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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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468
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: fall · pitcher · rock · racket · mark · field · vault · rash

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. field — for sport
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rash — hasty
  5. field — farmland
  6. rock — a stone
  7. rock — music
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. fall — to drop
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. mark — a trace
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. rash — a series
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. fall — the season
  17. field — a subject
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. vault — a safe
  23. fall — to drop
  24. mark — a grade

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