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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. wound — an injury
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. ground — a position
  5. pit — in a race
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. stock — shares
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. pit — a hole
  10. ground — crushed
  11. stock — goods
  12. vault — a safe
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. wound — an injury
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. plane — a tool
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. ground — the earth
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. chair — a leader

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