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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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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: court · pound · plane · swing · stem · rest · vault · field

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. court — of a king
  5. vault — a safe
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. rest — a break
  8. field — for sport
  9. plane — a tool
  10. field — a subject
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. court — of law
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. swing — to play on
  15. rest — what's left
  16. swing — music
  17. pound — a weight
  18. rest — what's left
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. swing — in golf
  22. court — for sport
  23. field — farmland
  24. pound — for dogs

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