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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
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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: coach · fine · court · stock · rest · key · squash · vault

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. fine — high quality
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. key — for a lock
  6. court — for sport
  7. fine — all right
  8. key — the most important part
  9. rest — what's left
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — a break
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. key — in music
  16. squash — the sport
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. court — of law
  21. stock — shares
  22. vault — a safe
  23. stock — goods
  24. court — of a king

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