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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: race · pitch · cue · band · vault · coach

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. 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. race — humankind
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. cue — a signal
  4. band — a ring
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. cue — for pool
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. band — a music group
  9. pitch — completely
  10. cue — a hint
  11. vault — a safe
  12. race — a contest
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. race — the arms race
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. 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