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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: stand · toast · vault · coach · swing · scale

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. stand — to bear
  4. vault — a safe
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. swing — in golf
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. swing — to play on
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. toast — bread
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. scale — in music
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. swing — music

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