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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. cue — a hint
  3. kid — to tease
  4. court — for sport
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. vault — a safe
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. net — for catching
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. court — of a king
  15. kid — child
  16. net — after costs
  17. net — in sport
  18. toast — bread
  19. court — of law
  20. cue — a signal
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. cue — for pool
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. racket — for tennis

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