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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: lash · club · drill · patient · cell · vault · stand · court

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. drill — army training
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. club — for golf
  8. cell — in biology
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. court — of a king
  13. vault — a safe
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. cell — a phone
  17. club — for dancing
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. drill — a practice
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. club — a group
  22. drill — the tool
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. court — of law

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