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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. degree — from a university
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. degree — temperature
  5. cap — of ice
  6. chest — of your body
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. vault — a safe
  10. chest — of your body
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. cap — a lid
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. degree — an amount
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. deal — to handle
  19. cap — a hat
  20. kick — in football
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. chest — a box

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