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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: sharp · vault · cap · rock · field · mate · cell · arm

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. mate — a partner
  5. vault — a safe
  6. field — farmland
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. rock — a stone
  9. cell — in biology
  10. rock — music
  11. sharp — clever
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. field — for sport
  15. cap — a lid
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. cap — of ice
  20. mate — a friend
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cell — a phone
  24. mate — to breed

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