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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. charge — a price
  5. fine — all right
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. charge — in control
  8. charge — electricity
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. pitch — completely
  13. spring — of water
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. spring — the season
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. fine — high quality
  22. vault — a safe
  23. spring — a coil
  24. straw — dry grass

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