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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. mug — to rob
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. net — for catching
  5. plane — a tool
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. ground — the earth
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. fork — in a road
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. ground — crushed
  16. mug — a cup
  17. vault — a safe
  18. net — after costs
  19. mug — a face
  20. ground — a position
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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