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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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Word bank
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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. club — for golf
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. vault — a safe
  9. root — of a word
  10. chip — to eat
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. root — of a plant
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. root — the cause
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. wind — moving air
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. club — a group
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. club — for dancing
  21. wind — moving air
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. chip — for betting

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