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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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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 · ball · cabinet · racket · snap · hide · pitch · coach

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. snap — to click
  8. vault — a safe
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. pitch — completely
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. ball — a dance
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. ball — a great time

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