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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. root — the cause
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. swing — to play on
  5. vault — a safe
  6. swing — music
  7. hand — in cards
  8. scale — in music
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. race — humankind
  11. root — of a word
  12. hand — help
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. race — the arms race
  15. pop — music
  16. swing — in golf
  17. race — a contest
  18. pop — to visit
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. root — of a plant
  21. pop — soda
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. scale — size or range

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