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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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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: land · safe · coach · chair · stick · vault · tube · perch

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. vault — a safe
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. land — a country
  5. tube — a container
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. chair — a leader
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. tube — the underground
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. perch — the fish
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. land — to come down

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