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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. vault — a safe
  4. bank — for money
  5. ground — crushed
  6. bank — of a river
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. field — for sport
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. squash — the sport
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. field — a subject
  13. field — farmland
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. ground — the earth
  18. ground — a position
  19. bank — for money
  20. squash — to crush
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. toast — bread
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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