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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. march — the month
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. vault — a safe
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. march — the month
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. pound — a weight
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. chair — a leader
  17. row — to paddle
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. march — music
  24. row — a line

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