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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bowl · patient · temple · stick · vault · pit

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. pit — in a race
  4. vault — a safe
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. pit — a hole
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. stick — a piece of wood

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