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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: field · spring · land · date · charge · mark · swing · vault

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. field — farmland
  5. field — for sport
  6. charge — a price
  7. land — a country
  8. spring — of water
  9. charge — electricity
  10. spring — the season
  11. land — to come down
  12. field — a subject
  13. mark — a trace
  14. vault — a safe
  15. charge — in control
  16. mark — a grade
  17. swing — in golf
  18. swing — music
  19. land — ground
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. spring — a coil
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. swing — to play on
  24. date — the fruit

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