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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. court — for sport
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. drill — a practice
  5. vault — a safe
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. wake — a trail
  8. dip — to sink
  9. court — of law
  10. fine — all right
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. fine — high quality
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. drill — the tool
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. drill — army training
  20. court — of a king
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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