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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. content — the amount
  5. rock — music
  6. object — to protest
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. ground — the earth
  10. rock — a stone
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. content — happy
  13. vault — a safe
  14. wound — an injury
  15. roll — a list
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. ground — crushed
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. wound — an injury
  21. object — a thing
  22. roll — a cake
  23. ground — a position
  24. 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