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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: wax · pitcher · patient · board · club · mine · vault · staff

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. staff — employees
  3. board — a committee
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. club — a group
  7. mine — for digging
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. board — to get on
  15. staff — a stick
  16. club — for golf
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. vault — a safe
  21. staff — employees
  22. club — for dancing
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. patient — a sick person

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