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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 · cap · coach · charge · land · mug · row · pit

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. cap — a hat
  3. land — ground
  4. mug — a face
  5. cap — a lid
  6. row — to paddle
  7. pit — in a race
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. charge — in control
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. mug — to rob
  12. charge — electricity
  13. row — a line
  14. charge — a price
  15. mug — a cup
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. cap — of ice
  18. land — a country
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. land — to come down
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. pit — a hole
  24. row — a quarrel

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