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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 120 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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. sharp — clever
  7. can — a tin
  8. row — to paddle
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. can — to be able to
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. pitch — completely
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. net — for catching
  18. row — a line
  19. vault — a safe
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. can — a tin
  23. net — in sport
  24. net — after costs

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