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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: clip · field · bank · vault · racket · tear · coach · foot

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. foot — a measure
  3. clip — a video
  4. tear — from crying
  5. field — a subject
  6. bank — of a river
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bank — for money
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. bank — for money
  11. field — farmland
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. tear — to rip
  18. clip — for paper
  19. field — for sport
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. vault — a safe
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. clip — to cut
  24. tear — from crying

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