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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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Word bank
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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: can · patient · bat · temple · vault · pitch · stock · arm

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. bat — the animal
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. can — a tin
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. stock — goods
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. pitch — completely
  19. can — to be able to
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. stock — shares
  22. can — a tin
  23. vault — a safe
  24. temple — a place of worship

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