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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: coach · arm · swing · vault · fine · mouse · rush · racket

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. vault — a safe
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. swing — in golf
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. fine — all right
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. rush — hurry
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. swing — music
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. fine — high quality
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. swing — to play on

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