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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: vault · coach · rush · mark · club · net · trunk · band

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. net — in sport
  5. net — after costs
  6. club — for dancing
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. net — for catching
  13. club — a group
  14. vault — a safe
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. mark — a trace
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. band — a music group
  21. band — a ring
  22. club — for golf
  23. rush — hurry
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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