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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. swing — music
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. file — a document
  9. file — a tool
  10. chair — a leader
  11. file — a line of people
  12. swing — to play on
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. scale — size or range
  15. vault — a safe
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. mine — for digging
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. board — a committee
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. board — to get on
  22. swing — in golf
  23. scale — in music
  24. chair — a professorship

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