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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: cap · racket · cue · vault · chip · coach · stick · cabinet

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. cue — a signal
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. cap — of ice
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. vault — a safe
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cue — a hint
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. cue — for pool
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. chip — for betting
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. chip — to eat
  21. cap — a lid
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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