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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 116 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: vault · calf · bear · ground · field · stick · club · band

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. field — for sport
  5. band — a ring
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. club — a group
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. club — for golf
  14. field — a subject
  15. club — for dancing
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. bear — the animal
  18. band — a music group
  19. ground — a position
  20. field — farmland
  21. vault — a safe
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. ground — crushed
  24. bear — the animal

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