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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: craft · court · racket · bat · vault · lie · coach · nail

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. court — of a king
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. craft — a skill
  5. vault — a safe
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. craft — boats
  12. lie — to recline
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. court — for sport
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bat — the animal
  23. court — of law
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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