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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: vault · game · can · field · rule · mark · ball · swing

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. field — a subject
  3. game — wild animals
  4. vault — a safe
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. swing — in golf
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. mark — a grade
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. ball — a great time
  11. mark — a trace
  12. swing — music
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. field — farmland
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. swing — to play on
  18. rule — government
  19. field — for sport
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — to be able to
  22. can — a tin
  23. ball — a dance
  24. rule — a law

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