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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. court — for sport
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. court — of law
  6. vault — a safe
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. staff — employees
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. staff — a stick
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. craft — boats
  17. court — of a king
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. staff — employees
  21. snap — to click
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. craft — a skill

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