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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stand — to bear
  3. cap — a lid
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. ball — a dance
  9. cap — a hat
  10. present — the time now
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. spring — of water
  13. vault — a safe
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. spring — the season
  17. present — there
  18. ball — a great time
  19. cap — of ice
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. spring — a coil
  22. scale — size or range
  23. scale — in music
  24. present — a gift

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