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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: can · coach · game · club · straw · vault · face · scale

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. scale — size or range
  3. club — a group
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. game — wild animals
  6. scale — in music
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. can — to be able to
  9. can — a tin
  10. face — to point toward
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. game — a match
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. face — to confront
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. vault — a safe
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. club — for golf
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. can — a tin
  22. club — for dancing
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. face — part of the head

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