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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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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: pass · season · field · chip · squash · vault · hand · track

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. chip — for betting
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. season — of the year
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. vault — a safe
  9. hand — in cards
  10. chip — to eat
  11. season — in sport
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. track — a path
  14. field — farmland
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. track — a song
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. hand — help
  21. squash — to crush
  22. field — a subject
  23. squash — the sport
  24. track — to keep track

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