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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. rock — music
  3. scale — in music
  4. scale — size or range
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. mug — a cup
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. march — the month
  11. mug — a face
  12. vault — a safe
  13. rock — a stone
  14. mug — to rob
  15. march — the month
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. march — music

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