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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. vault — a safe
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. mark — a grade
  7. suit — in cards
  8. suit — clothes
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. court — of law
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. court — for sport
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. suit — to fit
  18. mark — a trace
  19. row — to paddle
  20. court — of a king
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. stem — to come from

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