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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: club · stand · field · track · vault · bore · race · cell

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. club — a group
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. vault — a safe
  5. track — to keep track
  6. club — for dancing
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. race — humankind
  9. field — for sport
  10. race — a contest
  11. cell — a phone
  12. bore — to drill
  13. field — farmland
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. track — a song
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. track — a path
  19. club — for golf
  20. field — a subject
  21. race — the arms race
  22. bore — to tire
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. stand — to bear

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