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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. kick — in football
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. track — to keep track
  13. game — a match
  14. vault — a safe
  15. game — wild animals
  16. staff — a stick
  17. pass — a permit
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. roll — a cake
  20. track — a path
  21. track — a song
  22. roll — a list
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. staff — employees

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