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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. board — to get on
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bat — the animal
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. foot — a measure
  9. swing — music
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. vault — a safe
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. wax — to grow
  18. swing — in golf
  19. board — a committee
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. swing — to play on
  23. stand — to bear
  24. stand — for spectators

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