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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: foot · net · bear · patient · ground · race · pass · vault

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. foot — a measure
  3. net — after costs
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. pass — a permit
  6. race — the arms race
  7. ground — a position
  8. vault — a safe
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. race — a contest
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. net — for catching
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. net — in sport
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. bear — the animal
  18. ground — crushed
  19. bear — the animal
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. race — humankind
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. foot — part of the body

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