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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: vault · racket · bowl · patient · file · dip

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. file — a tool
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. file — a document
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. file — a line of people
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. vault — a safe
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. dip — to sink
  18. vault — an arched ceiling

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