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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 116 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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. staff — employees
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — a stick
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. swing — music
  13. wake — a trail
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. club — a group
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. club — for dancing
  18. club — for golf
  19. swing — in golf
  20. vault — a safe
  21. swing — to play on
  22. deal — to handle
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bat — the animal

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