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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 116 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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. scale — in music
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. suit — in cards
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. field — a subject
  9. suit — to fit
  10. suit — clothes
  11. bat — the animal
  12. scale — size or range
  13. march — the month
  14. fine — high quality
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. field — for sport
  19. march — music
  20. fine — all right
  21. vault — a safe
  22. march — the month
  23. field — farmland
  24. bat — for baseball

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