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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 116 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: deal · patient · net · kick · vault · coach · rush · bat

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. net — after costs
  3. kick — in football
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. bat — the animal
  7. net — in sport
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. net — for catching
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. vault — a safe
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. deal — to handle
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. rush — hurry

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