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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. present — a gift
  3. present — there
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. present — the time now
  7. pit — in a race
  8. vault — a safe
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. spring — the season
  13. object — an aim
  14. bulb — for light
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. spring — a coil
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. object — to protest
  21. object — a thing
  22. deal — to handle
  23. spring — of water
  24. deal — a big deal

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