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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. pit — a hole
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. pit — in a race
  9. bat — the animal
  10. row — a line
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. scale — size or range
  14. row — to paddle
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. scale — in music
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. vault — a safe
  20. chair — a leader
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. chair — a professorship

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