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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 120 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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bat — the animal
  5. game — wild animals
  6. suit — to fit
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. suit — in cards
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. charge — in control
  11. vault — a safe
  12. pound — a weight
  13. suit — clothes
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. game — a match
  17. charge — a price
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. ball — a dance
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. ball — a great time
  22. charge — electricity
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. pound — to hit hard

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