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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. squash — to crush
  8. chair — a leader
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. pitch — completely
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. vault — a safe
  19. squash — the sport
  20. rush — hurry
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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