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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.

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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: patient · court · saw · craft · firm · vault · straw · march

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. craft — a skill
  3. saw — the tool
  4. firm — steady
  5. march — the month
  6. march — music
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. court — of a king
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. court — for sport
  12. court — of law
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. craft — boats
  16. march — the month
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. saw — the tool
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. firm — decided
  23. vault — a safe
  24. firm — a company

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