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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  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. pitcher — a jug
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. board — to get on
  5. scale — size or range
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bound — certain
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. bound — tied together
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. snap — to click
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. bound — obliged
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. vault — a safe
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. scale — in music
  23. board — a committee
  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