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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. staff — a stick
  3. staff — employees
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ground — a position
  7. bear — the animal
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. ground — crushed
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. perch — the fish
  13. ball — a dance
  14. ground — the earth
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. vault — a safe
  18. bear — the animal
  19. ball — a great time
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. staff — employees
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — a sick person

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