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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.

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: ground · fine · coach · march · mate · fan · deal · vault

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. march — the month
  4. ground — the earth
  5. vault — a safe
  6. march — music
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. deal — to handle
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mate — to breed
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. mate — a partner
  15. ground — a position
  16. fine — high quality
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. fine — all right
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. ground — crushed
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. march — the month

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