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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. staff — employees
  7. perch — the fish
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. staff — a stick
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. snap — to click
  19. row — to paddle
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. staff — employees
  22. vault — a safe
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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