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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. vault — a safe
  3. land — to come down
  4. land — a country
  5. land — ground
  6. fine — high quality
  7. pitch — completely
  8. fine — all right
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. mug — a face
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. mug — a cup
  18. hand — in cards
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. hand — help
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. hand — part of the body

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