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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. fine — all right
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. fork — in a road
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. vault — a safe
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. wind — moving air
  15. pop — soda
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. pound — a weight
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. wind — moving air
  20. pop — music
  21. pop — to visit
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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