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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 works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. vault — a safe
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. saw — the tool
  11. pass — a permit
  12. degree — temperature
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. degree — from a university
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. squash — to crush
  18. degree — an amount
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. foot — a measure
  21. squash — the sport
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. racket — for tennis

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