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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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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: vault · coach · scale · patient · swing · fork

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. scale — size or range
  3. vault — a safe
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. scale — in music
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. swing — in golf
  14. swing — music
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. fork — in a road
  18. swing — to play on

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