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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: row · coach · dip · bass · land · toast · court · vault

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. land — a country
  3. land — to come down
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. court — for sport
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. bass — low music
  9. court — of a king
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. row — to paddle
  15. dip — to sink
  16. vault — a safe
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. court — of law
  19. toast — bread
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. row — a line
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. land — ground

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