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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: trunk · vault · racket · coach · cap · field · ground · can

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. field — a subject
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. ground — a position
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. cap — a hat
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. can — a tin
  9. vault — a safe
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. ground — the earth
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. field — farmland
  17. field — for sport
  18. can — to be able to
  19. cap — a lid
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. cap — of ice
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. can — a tin

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