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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
468
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: vault · chair · deal · coach · shower · rock · pitcher · roll

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. vault — a safe
  3. chair — a leader
  4. roll — a cake
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. roll — a list
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. rock — music
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. deal — to handle
  20. shower — to wash
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. rock — a stone
  24. shower — rain

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