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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. rash — a series
  3. rash — hasty
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. bore — to drill
  7. vault — a safe
  8. ground — crushed
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. court — of a king
  11. court — for sport
  12. pass — a permit
  13. bore — to tire
  14. spring — of water
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. spring — a coil
  17. spring — the season
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. ground — the earth
  21. ground — a position
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. court — of law

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