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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
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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: season · deal · pitcher · leaves · shower · vault · patient · ruler

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. deal — to handle
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. shower — to wash
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. season — in sport
  17. vault — a safe
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. shower — rain
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. season — to add flavour

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