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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: firm · current · vault · rest · ball · present · arm · coach

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. rest — a break
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. ball — a dance
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. current — electric
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. rest — what's left
  9. vault — a safe
  10. current — of water
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. current — happening now
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. present — there
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. present — the time now
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. firm — steady
  20. present — a gift
  21. rest — what's left
  22. firm — a company
  23. firm — decided
  24. ball — a great time

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