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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: vault · rash · pass · game · racket · cap · safe · last

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. cap — of ice
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. game — wild animals
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. last — final
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. last — to go on
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. cap — a hat
  12. rash — hasty
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. rash — a series
  16. game — a match
  17. cap — a lid
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. pass — a permit
  21. vault — a safe
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. last — finally
  24. racket — a loud noise

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