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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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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: staff · patient · fan · vault · pit · spell · track · roll

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. roll — a cake
  5. spell — a short time
  6. roll — a list
  7. vault — a safe
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. spell — magic
  10. track — a song
  11. pit — a hole
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. track — a path
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. staff — employees
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. spell — letters
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. track — to keep track
  23. staff — employees
  24. pit — in a race

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