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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: patient · deal · perch · chip · lean · vault · craft · capital

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. vault — a safe
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. capital — a city
  10. lean — to bend
  11. capital — money
  12. deal — to handle
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. chip — to eat
  18. lean — thin
  19. chip — for betting
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. craft — a skill
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. craft — boats
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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