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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: hide · vault · patient · leaves · chip · club · fork · pitcher

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  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. leaves — lets stay
  2. fork — in a road
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. club — for golf
  7. chip — to eat
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. chip — for betting
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. vault — a safe
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. club — a group
  22. club — for dancing
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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