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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: lean · field · mouse · club · sharp · can · stem · vault

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. club — for golf
  4. club — a group
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. sharp — clever
  7. lean — to bend
  8. can — a tin
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. lean — thin
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. club — for dancing
  13. field — for sport
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. can — a tin
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. can — to be able to
  18. field — farmland
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. stem — to come from
  23. vault — a safe
  24. lean — to rest against

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