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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. season — of the year
  5. mine — for digging
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. march — the month
  11. march — music
  12. deal — to handle
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. squash — the sport
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. march — the month
  20. squash — to crush
  21. vault — a safe
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. patient — a sick person

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