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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. root — of a plant
  4. game — a match
  5. game — wild animals
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. pitch — completely
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. bank — for money
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. bank — for money
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. root — of a word
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. content — happy
  17. bank — of a river
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. vault — a safe
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. root — the cause
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. content — the amount

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