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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: present · vault · game · land · stem · swing · pass · nail

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. land — to come down
  6. swing — to play on
  7. present — the time now
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. pass — a permit
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. present — there
  13. land — ground
  14. swing — in golf
  15. vault — a safe
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. game — a match
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. land — a country
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. game — wild animals
  22. stem — to come from
  23. present — a gift
  24. swing — music

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