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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. present — there
  7. prune — to trim
  8. present — the time now
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. present — a gift
  11. stand — to bear
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. clip — to cut
  15. key — for a lock
  16. fine — all right
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. key — in music
  19. clip — a video
  20. vault — a safe
  21. clip — for paper
  22. fine — high quality
  23. prune — to trim
  24. key — the most important part

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