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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: vault · field · rock · bass · safe · mug · straw · coach

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. field — a subject
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. field — farmland
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. bass — low music
  8. vault — a safe
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bass — the fish
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. rock — a stone
  17. mug — a face
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. mug — to rob
  21. rock — music
  22. field — for sport
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. mug — a cup

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