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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. key — in music
  3. key — for a lock
  4. swing — to play on
  5. swing — in golf
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. swing — music
  9. row — a line
  10. land — a country
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. land — to come down
  13. land — ground
  14. row — to paddle
  15. vault — a safe
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. key — the most important part
  18. coach — a trainer

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