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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. vault — a safe
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. race — the arms race
  9. dip — to sink
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. swing — to play on
  12. swing — in golf
  13. capital — a city
  14. fine — high quality
  15. capital — money
  16. fine — all right
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. race — humankind
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. race — a contest
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. swing — music
  24. capital — a big letter

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