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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: bore · ball · swing · net · vault · stick · last · patient

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. ball — a great time
  3. bore — to tire
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. last — finally
  6. last — final
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. last — to go on
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. net — for catching
  12. ball — a dance
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. vault — a safe
  15. swing — in golf
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. swing — music
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. net — after costs
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bore — to drill
  24. swing — to play on

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