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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: racket · vault · race · bank · fan · ground · hand · deal

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. deal — to handle
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. race — a contest
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. ground — crushed
  7. bank — for money
  8. race — the arms race
  9. bank — of a river
  10. ground — a position
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. race — humankind
  13. bank — for money
  14. ground — the earth
  15. vault — a safe
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. hand — help
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. hand — in cards
  24. deal — an agreement

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