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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 120 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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468
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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. row — a line
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. cell — in biology
  5. chip — to eat
  6. court — of law
  7. bear — the animal
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. row — to paddle
  13. fine — all right
  14. cell — a phone
  15. court — of a king
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. chip — for betting
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. bear — the animal
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. vault — a safe
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. court — for sport

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