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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: field · vault · wind · object · pitch · bore · lie · can

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. field — a subject
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. object — to protest
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. wind — moving air
  7. object — an aim
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. field — for sport
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. wind — moving air
  12. lie — to recline
  13. field — farmland
  14. pitch — completely
  15. object — a thing
  16. vault — a safe
  17. can — a tin
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. can — to be able to
  20. can — a tin
  21. bore — to drill
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. bore — to tire
  24. wind — to turn a key

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