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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mug · club · vault · lean · jam · chip · field · scale

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. scale — size or range
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. vault — a safe
  5. chip — to eat
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. club — for golf
  9. mug — a face
  10. club — for dancing
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. field — for sport
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. mug — a cup
  16. club — a group
  17. mug — to rob
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. lean — to bend
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. scale — in music
  22. field — farmland
  23. chip — for betting
  24. lean — thin

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