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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. fine — all right
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. last — finally
  5. last — final
  6. rest — what's left
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. firm — a company
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. field — a subject
  11. field — farmland
  12. rest — what's left
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. field — for sport
  16. last — to go on
  17. rest — a break
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. firm — decided
  20. pitch — completely
  21. vault — a safe
  22. fine — high quality
  23. firm — steady
  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