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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 116 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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. scale — size or range
  3. spell — a short time
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. spell — letters
  7. snap — to click
  8. ground — crushed
  9. board — to get on
  10. staff — a stick
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. scale — in music
  16. vault — a safe
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. board — a committee
  20. ground — a position
  21. ground — the earth
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — employees
  24. spell — magic

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