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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wound — an injury
  3. land — to come down
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. land — ground
  7. key — for a lock
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. wound — an injury
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. date — the fruit
  13. mine — for digging
  14. vault — a safe
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. land — a country
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. key — the most important part
  24. key — in music

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