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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. ground — a position
  3. club — a group
  4. net — after costs
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. last — finally
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. last — to go on
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. ground — the earth
  13. club — for dancing
  14. last — final
  15. vault — a safe
  16. net — for catching
  17. net — in sport
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. ground — crushed
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. wax — to grow
  23. stand — to bear
  24. club — for golf

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