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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. chair — a leader
  3. bound — certain
  4. vault — a safe
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bound — obliged
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. field — farmland
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. field — a subject
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. season — of the year
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. season — in sport
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. field — for sport
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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