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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. pop — to visit
  5. row — to paddle
  6. scale — in music
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. chair — a leader
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. scale — size or range
  12. pop — soda
  13. row — a line
  14. pop — music
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. charge — electricity
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. capital — a city
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. vault — a safe
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. capital — money
  23. charge — in control
  24. charge — a price

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