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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. ground — the earth
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. vault — a safe
  6. perch — the fish
  7. scale — in music
  8. firm — a company
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. scale — size or range
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. ground — crushed
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. chip — to eat
  18. firm — decided
  19. chip — for betting
  20. ground — a position
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. plane — a tool
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. firm — steady

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