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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 116 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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. court — for sport
  3. court — of a king
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. court — of law
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. cap — a lid
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. present — a gift
  12. track — a song
  13. pitch — completely
  14. present — there
  15. vault — a safe
  16. present — the time now
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. cap — of ice
  19. track — to keep track
  20. rush — hurry
  21. track — a path
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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