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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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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bark — to shout
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. land — to come down
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. squash — the sport
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. land — a country
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. squash — to crush
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bass — low music
  24. land — ground

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