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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 116 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: land · stem · patient · vault · scale · drill · pit · chip

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. pit — a hole
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. scale — in music
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. drill — army training
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. drill — a practice
  13. stem — to come from
  14. land — ground
  15. vault — a safe
  16. land — a country
  17. scale — size or range
  18. drill — the tool
  19. chip — for betting
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. pit — in a race
  22. chip — to eat
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. land — to come down

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