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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: racket · cap · prune · coach · bay · stand · wave · chest

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cap — a hat
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. chest — of your body
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. chest — of your body
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. prune — to trim
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. chest — a box
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. stand — to bear
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. cap — of ice

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