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

Word bank: coach · trunk · vault · kick · chair · perch · stock · stand

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. vault — a safe
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. kick — in football
  11. perch — the fish
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. stock — goods
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. chair — a leader
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. stand — to bear
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. stock — shares
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. trunk — of a car

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