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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ball — a dance
  6. pitch — completely
  7. court — of a king
  8. vault — a safe
  9. foot — a measure
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. mine — for digging
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. ball — a great time
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. chip — for betting
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. court — of law
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. foot — the bottom
  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