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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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468
Word bank
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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 was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. pass — a permit
  7. stock — goods
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. mine — for digging
  10. swing — music
  11. vault — a safe
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. cell — in biology
  15. swing — in golf
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pit — a hole
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. pit — in a race
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. cell — a phone
  23. stock — shares
  24. swing — to play on

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