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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
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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 · dip · swing · capital · fork · bound · pitcher · coach

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. fork — in a road
  4. swing — in golf
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. vault — a safe
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. bound — obliged
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. swing — music
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. bound — tied together
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. swing — to play on
  18. dip — to sink
  19. capital — money
  20. bound — certain
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. capital — a city

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