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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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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: suit · field · vault · rock · perch · patient · key · straw

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. suit — to fit
  3. field — farmland
  4. vault — a safe
  5. suit — in cards
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. rock — a stone
  12. field — a subject
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. key — in music
  15. key — for a lock
  16. key — the most important part
  17. rock — music
  18. perch — the fish
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. suit — clothes
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. field — for sport
  24. perch — for a bird

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