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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. court — of law
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. court — of a king
  7. key — in music
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. content — the amount
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. lean — to bend
  13. court — for sport
  14. content — happy
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. key — the most important part
  19. lean — thin
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. key — for a lock
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. wake — a trail
  24. vault — a safe

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