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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. degree — an amount
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. degree — temperature
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. bear — the animal
  9. perch — the fish
  10. face — to confront
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. degree — from a university
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. dip — to sink
  17. bear — the animal
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. face — part of the head
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. vault — a safe
  22. face — to point toward
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. coach — a trainer

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