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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: coach · vault · straw · ball · dip · bound · ground · chair

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. chair — a leader
  5. bound — certain
  6. ground — the earth
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. ball — a great time
  9. vault — a safe
  10. dip — to sink
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bound — tied together
  16. ground — a position
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. bound — obliged
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. ground — crushed

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