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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 116 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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. spell — a short time
  5. bat — the animal
  6. field — for sport
  7. scale — size or range
  8. field — a subject
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. fine — high quality
  11. field — farmland
  12. scale — in music
  13. pass — a permit
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. fine — all right
  20. spell — magic
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. spell — letters
  24. bat — for baseball

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