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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: race · pop · stem · racket · vault · stick · coach · wound

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. pop — soda
  3. race — the arms race
  4. pop — music
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. stem — to come from
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. race — a contest
  20. race — humankind
  21. wound — an injury
  22. vault — a safe
  23. wound — an injury
  24. pop — to visit

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