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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: face · bound · pitcher · spell · vault · cap · field · bank

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. bank — for money
  3. cap — a lid
  4. bank — for money
  5. vault — a safe
  6. cap — a hat
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. spell — letters
  9. bank — of a river
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. bound — obliged
  12. field — for sport
  13. face — part of the head
  14. face — to confront
  15. bound — tied together
  16. spell — a short time
  17. face — to point toward
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. bound — certain
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. spell — magic
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. cap — of ice
  24. field — farmland

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