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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. court — of a king
  4. shower — rain
  5. vault — a safe
  6. fall — to drop
  7. board — to get on
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. court — of law
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. board — a committee
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. deal — to handle
  15. fall — to drop
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. fall — the season
  20. shower — to wash
  21. court — for sport
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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