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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: court · face · trunk · roll · coach · perch · tube · vault

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. court — for sport
  4. face — to confront
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. perch — the fish
  9. tube — a container
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. tube — the underground
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. face — to point toward
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. face — part of the head
  16. roll — a list
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. court — of law
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. roll — a cake
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. vault — a safe

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