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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. chip — to eat
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. vault — a safe
  10. toast — bread
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. face — to confront
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. chip — for betting
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. face — part of the head
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. face — to point toward
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — moving air
  24. chip — in a computer

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