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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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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: nail · vault · fork · stem · firm · last · coach · racket

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. firm — a company
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. last — final
  6. vault — a safe
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. fork — in a road
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. stem — to come from
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. firm — decided
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. last — to go on
  17. firm — steady
  18. last — finally
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. racket — for tennis

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