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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 120 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 · swing · tube · foot · rest · pit · court · vault

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. rest — what's left
  6. vault — a safe
  7. tube — a container
  8. rest — what's left
  9. field — for sport
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. tube — the underground
  13. court — for sport
  14. field — a subject
  15. foot — a measure
  16. pit — a hole
  17. court — of a king
  18. court — of law
  19. swing — music
  20. field — farmland
  21. pit — in a race
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. swing — to play on
  24. swing — in golf

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