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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. sharp — clever
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. mark — a grade
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. mark — a trace
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. stand — to bear
  14. degree — from a university
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. vault — a safe
  17. degree — temperature
  18. degree — an amount
  19. scale — in music
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. swing — to play on
  22. scale — size or range
  23. swing — in golf
  24. swing — music

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