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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 120 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: calf · trunk · vault · sharp · club · racket · rule · coach

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. sharp — clever
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. rule — government
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. club — a group
  12. club — for golf
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. club — for dancing
  17. vault — a safe
  18. rule — a law
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. trunk — of a tree

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