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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. deal — to handle
  3. club — for golf
  4. club — for dancing
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. mark — a trace
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. spring — of water
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. vault — a safe
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. content — happy
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pass — a permit
  17. spring — the season
  18. spring — a coil
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. content — the amount
  21. club — a group
  22. mark — a grade
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. deal — an agreement

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