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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 · rock · suit · straw · cell · mark · bore · vault

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. rock — music
  3. suit — clothes
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. field — farmland
  6. cell — in biology
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. mark — a grade
  9. bore — to tire
  10. suit — in cards
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. cell — a phone
  14. mark — a trace
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. field — a subject
  18. field — for sport
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. rock — a stone
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. vault — a safe

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