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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.

Make a worksheet

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: patient · bowl · vault · field · object · spring · staff · date

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. field — a subject
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. spring — the season
  9. spring — a coil
  10. object — a thing
  11. field — for sport
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. spring — of water
  14. vault — a safe
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. staff — a stick
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. object — to protest
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. staff — employees
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. staff — employees
  23. date — the fruit
  24. field — farmland

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