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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. toast — bread
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. spring — of water
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. spring — the season
  10. vault — a safe
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. bear — the animal
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. spring — a coil
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. scale — size or range
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. arm — part of the body

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