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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: racket · kick · coach · wound · ruler · vault · cold · pit

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. pit — in a race
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. kick — in football
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. vault — a safe
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. wound — an injury
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. cold — an illness
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wound — an injury
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. cold — not warm
  24. pit — a hole

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