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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. game — a match
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. game — wild animals
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. fork — in a road
  11. tear — from crying
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. rest — what's left
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. chip — for betting
  16. rest — a break
  17. chip — to eat
  18. rest — what's left
  19. vault — a safe
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. tear — from crying
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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