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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 120 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: field · scale · vault · deal · spring · wind · patient · pitcher

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. spring — of water
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. scale — size or range
  7. deal — to handle
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. field — farmland
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. wind — moving air
  14. spring — a coil
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. vault — a safe
  18. field — a subject
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. field — for sport
  22. spring — the season
  23. wind — moving air
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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