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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 shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. fine — all right
  4. craft — boats
  5. bulb — for light
  6. game — wild animals
  7. chip — for betting
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. game — a match
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. craft — a skill
  15. chip — to eat
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. vault — a safe
  18. stand — to bear
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. bulb — for light
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. fine — a penalty
  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