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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 120 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: deal · vault · racket · race · bark · wave · prune · rash

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. race — humankind
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. bark — to shout
  7. rash — a series
  8. race — a contest
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. deal — to handle
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rash — hasty
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. prune — to trim
  17. race — the arms race
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. prune — to trim
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. prune — the fruit

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