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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 120 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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. vault — a safe
  4. land — to come down
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. clip — a video
  7. land — ground
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. staff — employees
  10. pop — music
  11. fine — all right
  12. pop — soda
  13. clip — for paper
  14. clip — to cut
  15. land — a country
  16. staff — a stick
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. pop — to visit
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. staff — employees
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fine — high quality

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