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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 had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. prune — to trim
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. degree — temperature
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. stock — shares
  9. degree — an amount
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. prune — to trim
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. vault — a safe
  19. degree — from a university
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. stock — goods
  23. sharp — clever
  24. sharp — with an edge

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