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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 120 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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. chest — a box
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. club — for dancing
  5. club — for golf
  6. fork — in a road
  7. chest — of your body
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. ground — a position
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. pit — in a race
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. stock — shares
  16. ground — the earth
  17. vault — a safe
  18. stock — goods
  19. ground — crushed
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. chest — of your body
  22. pit — a hole
  23. club — a group
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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