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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: spring · scale · field · deal · pit · vault · hand · spell

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. vault — a safe
  3. spell — magic
  4. scale — in music
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. spring — the season
  7. deal — to handle
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. field — for sport
  10. pit — in a race
  11. spring — of water
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. scale — size or range
  15. field — a subject
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. spell — a short time
  18. spell — letters
  19. pit — a hole
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. spring — a coil
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. hand — help

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