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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 · cell · mark · fan · vault · ruler · date · bear

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. field — farmland
  5. date — the fruit
  6. vault — a safe
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. mark — a trace
  9. field — a subject
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. bear — the animal
  12. mark — a grade
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. cell — a phone
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. cell — in biology
  21. bear — the animal
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. ruler — a monarch

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