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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: craft · foot · vault · sharp · coach · swing · roll · fan

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. roll — a cake
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. craft — a skill
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. vault — a safe
  15. craft — boats
  16. swing — music
  17. sharp — clever
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. roll — a list
  22. swing — in golf
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. foot — a measure

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