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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. degree — from a university
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. rash — hasty
  10. vault — a safe
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. foot — a measure
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. rash — a series
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. degree — an amount
  20. degree — temperature
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. coach — a trainer

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