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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. hand — in cards
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ground — a position
  6. mug — a cup
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. stand — to bear
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. hand — help
  13. game — wild animals
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. mug — to rob
  17. game — a match
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. mug — a face
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. vault — a safe

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