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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. shower — rain
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. net — after costs
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. chair — a leader
  9. shower — to wash
  10. fine — high quality
  11. vault — a safe
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. current — electric
  14. net — in sport
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. net — for catching
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. current — happening now
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. current — of water
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. fine — all right

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