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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. lean — thin
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. row — to paddle
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. lean — to bend
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. vault — a safe
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. mine — for digging
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. row — a line
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. chair — a leader
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. mine — an explosive

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