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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: mug · coach · stick · roll · vault · rush · pitch · fork

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. mug — a face
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. mug — a cup
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. fork — in a road
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. roll — a cake
  12. pitch — completely
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. vault — a safe
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. mug — to rob
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. roll — a list
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. roll — on a roll

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