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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. vault — a safe
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. board — a committee
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. board — to get on
  10. ground — crushed
  11. sharp — clever
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. ground — the earth
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. board — a flat piece

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