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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: cabinet · court · vault · coach · cell · land · staff · game

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. staff — employees
  7. land — to come down
  8. land — ground
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. staff — a stick
  13. court — for sport
  14. court — of law
  15. cell — a phone
  16. court — of a king
  17. cell — in biology
  18. game — wild animals
  19. vault — a safe
  20. staff — employees
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. game — a match
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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