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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. perch — the fish
  3. saw — the tool
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. swing — to play on
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. fork — in a road
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. swing — music
  19. saw — the tool
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. vault — a safe
  24. swing — in golf

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