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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. pit — in a race
  3. object — an aim
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. chip — for betting
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. object — to protest
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. chip — to eat
  12. field — a subject
  13. object — a thing
  14. vault — a safe
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. field — farmland
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. pit — a hole
  20. rule — a law
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. field — for sport
  24. rule — government

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