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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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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: field · firm · pitch · vault · roll · root · tear · land

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. roll — a cake
  4. field — for sport
  5. root — of a word
  6. vault — a safe
  7. land — a country
  8. field — farmland
  9. firm — steady
  10. land — ground
  11. root — the cause
  12. root — of a plant
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. firm — decided
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. tear — from crying
  17. land — to come down
  18. roll — a list
  19. tear — from crying
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pitch — completely
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. tear — to rip
  24. firm — a company

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