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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. sharp — clever
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. vault — a safe
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. net — in sport
  10. net — after costs
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. net — for catching
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. kick — in football

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