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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 120 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: bat · vault · mouse · pitcher · net · kick · rule · patient

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. bat — the animal
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. net — in sport
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. net — for catching
  13. net — after costs
  14. kick — in football
  15. rule — a law
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. vault — a safe
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. rule — government

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