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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.

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: ball · row · chip · vault · wax · pound · field · mug

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. field — a subject
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. field — for sport
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. ball — a dance
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. mug — a cup
  10. pound — a weight
  11. row — a line
  12. vault — a safe
  13. row — to paddle
  14. wax — to grow
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. ball — a great time
  17. field — farmland
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. chip — for betting
  20. mug — to rob
  21. mug — a face
  22. chip — to eat
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. wax — in the ear

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