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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: rash · branch · coach · pop · rock · vault · game · kick

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. branch — a division
  5. pop — music
  6. game — a match
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. pop — soda
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — music
  13. game — wild animals
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. kick — in football
  17. rash — hasty
  18. rash — a series
  19. pop — to visit
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. branch — of a bank

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