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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: pit · racket · coach · spell · rock · bay · straw · vault

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. vault — a safe
  8. rock — music
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. rock — a stone
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. spell — letters
  21. pit — in a race
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. spell — magic
  24. straw — a straw man

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