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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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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. mug — to rob
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. band — a music group
  9. band — a ring
  10. shower — rain
  11. mug — a face
  12. chip — to eat
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. cap — a lid
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. cap — a hat
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. vault — a safe
  19. cap — of ice
  20. mug — a cup
  21. chip — for betting
  22. foot — a measure
  23. shower — to wash
  24. foot — the bottom

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