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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.

Make a worksheet

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: ball · patient · prune · vault · chest · mug · scale · jam

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. prune — to trim
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. ball — a dance
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. mug — to rob
  10. vault — a safe
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. mug — a face
  14. ball — a great time
  15. chest — a box
  16. scale — size or range
  17. prune — to trim
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. mug — a cup
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. chest — of your body
  23. scale — in music
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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