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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. suit — to fit
  3. suit — in cards
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. pit — in a race
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mine — for digging
  10. bass — low music
  11. bass — the fish
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. pit — a hole
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. vault — a safe
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. suit — clothes
  20. kick — in football
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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