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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.

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: ground · vault · fine · patient · straw · season · pit · bore

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. bore — to drill
  4. season — in sport
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. ground — the earth
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. fine — all right
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. season — of the year
  14. bore — to tire
  15. ground — a position
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fine — high quality
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. ground — crushed
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pit — a hole
  24. vault — a safe

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