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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: racket · vault · cell · track · staff · patient · date · chest

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. chest — of your body
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. chest — a box
  5. track — a song
  6. track — a path
  7. staff — a stick
  8. chest — of your body
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. staff — employees
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. date — the fruit
  14. staff — employees
  15. cell — in biology
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. vault — a safe
  22. track — to keep track
  23. cell — a phone
  24. cell — in a prison

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