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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.

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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: deal · coach · hide · foot · squash · suit · court · vault

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. deal — to handle
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. squash — the sport
  8. suit — to fit
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. foot — a measure
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. suit — clothes
  13. suit — in cards
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. vault — a safe
  18. court — for sport
  19. court — of a king
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. squash — to crush
  24. court — of law

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