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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.

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: season · vault · cap · pitcher · spring · staff · coach · object

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. season — of the year
  5. staff — a stick
  6. vault — a safe
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. cap — a hat
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. season — in sport
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. cap — a lid
  13. object — to protest
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. staff — employees
  16. spring — a coil
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. object — a thing
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. cap — of ice
  22. spring — of water
  23. spring — the season
  24. staff — employees

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