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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: kick · ball · racket · vault · face · coach · pit · trunk

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. face — to confront
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. ball — a great time
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. vault — a safe
  11. ball — a dance
  12. face — part of the head
  13. pit — in a race
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. face — to point toward
  16. pit — a hole
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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