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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.

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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: kid · fine · game · foot · coach · vault · jam · kick

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fine — all right
  10. kick — in football
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. vault — a safe
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. game — a match
  15. kid — child
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. foot — a measure
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. game — wild animals
  24. kid — to tease

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