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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: vault · fork · jam · hand · coach · rock · court · mug

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. mug — a face
  3. court — of a king
  4. court — for sport
  5. mug — to rob
  6. vault — a safe
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. court — of law
  13. rock — music
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. hand — help
  16. fork — in a road
  17. hand — in cards
  18. mug — a cup
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. rock — a stone
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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