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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. stock — shares
  5. cap — of ice
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. hand — in cards
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. dip — to sink
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. stock — goods
  16. fork — in a road
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cap — a hat
  19. vault — a safe
  20. hand — help
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. dip — to dunk

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