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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  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. staff — employees
  3. fall — to drop
  4. club — for dancing
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. staff — employees
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. club — a group
  10. vault — a safe
  11. fall — the season
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. capital — a city
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. capital — money
  19. fall — to drop
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. club — for golf
  22. chair — a leader
  23. staff — a stick
  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