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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 120 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
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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: stem · vault · field · saw · key · march · capital · face

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. march — music
  5. field — a subject
  6. march — the month
  7. key — in music
  8. capital — a city
  9. face — to point toward
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. field — farmland
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. march — the month
  14. saw — the tool
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. key — for a lock
  17. field — for sport
  18. saw — the tool
  19. face — part of the head
  20. face — to confront
  21. stem — to come from
  22. key — the most important part
  23. capital — money
  24. stem — of a plant

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