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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. saw — the tool
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. vault — a safe
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. pitch — completely
  8. cold — an illness
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. rule — government
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. rule — a law
  15. cold — not warm
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. board — to get on
  21. board — a committee
  22. saw — the tool
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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