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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. stand — to bear
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. spring — the season
  6. scale — size or range
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. spring — of water
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. court — of law
  11. swing — music
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. spring — a coil
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. vault — a safe
  17. toast — bread
  18. scale — in music
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. swing — to play on
  21. court — of a king
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. swing — in golf
  24. court — for sport

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