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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: patient · cabinet · court · sharp · pitcher · vault · game · bark

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. vault — a safe
  5. court — of a king
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. court — for sport
  18. court — of law
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. game — wild animals
  22. game — a match
  23. sharp — clever
  24. bark — to shout

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