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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. swing — in golf
  3. firm — a company
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. swing — to play on
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. firm — decided
  9. spring — of water
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. prune — to trim
  13. deal — to handle
  14. firm — steady
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. prune — to trim
  17. vault — a safe
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. swing — music
  22. spring — a coil
  23. spring — the season
  24. pitcher — a jug

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