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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: pit · pound · cap · pop · present · vault · patient · row

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. row — a line
  3. pop — music
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. present — a gift
  6. cap — of ice
  7. present — the time now
  8. vault — a safe
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. cap — a hat
  11. pop — soda
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pound — a weight
  15. pit — in a race
  16. row — to paddle
  17. present — there
  18. cap — a lid
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. pop — to visit
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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