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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pit · spell · drill · patient · vault · pitcher · mark · fine

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. vault — a safe
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. spell — a short time
  5. drill — a practice
  6. mark — a trace
  7. pit — in a race
  8. fine — high quality
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. spell — magic
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. drill — the tool
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. fine — all right
  19. pit — a hole
  20. mark — a grade
  21. spell — letters
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. drill — army training
  24. mark — to pay attention

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