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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. charge — electricity
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. race — humankind
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. race — a contest
  11. last — to go on
  12. charge — a price
  13. race — the arms race
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. charge — in control
  18. vault — a safe
  19. suit — clothes
  20. suit — in cards
  21. suit — to fit
  22. last — final
  23. stand — to bear
  24. last — finally

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