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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 · drill · current · fine · vault · saw · ground · prune

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. fine — all right
  3. current — electric
  4. prune — to trim
  5. ground — a position
  6. vault — a safe
  7. field — a subject
  8. drill — a practice
  9. field — for sport
  10. saw — the tool
  11. fine — high quality
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. saw — the tool
  14. drill — the tool
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. prune — to trim
  17. ground — the earth
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. current — happening now
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. current — of water
  22. ground — crushed
  23. field — farmland
  24. drill — army training

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