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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. chip — for betting
  5. band — a ring
  6. object — a thing
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. bore — to drill
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. kick — in football
  12. chip — to eat
  13. swing — music
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. vault — a safe
  17. band — a music group
  18. swing — to play on
  19. swing — in golf
  20. object — to protest
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. kick — a thrill

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