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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: pop · pit · board · stem · content · field · vault · lie

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. content — happy
  5. field — a subject
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. stem — to come from
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. field — farmland
  10. pop — music
  11. pop — soda
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. content — the amount
  15. vault — a safe
  16. board — to get on
  17. lie — to recline
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. pit — in a race
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. pop — to visit
  22. field — for sport
  23. pit — a hole
  24. board — a committee

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