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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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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: track · club · lean · pound · coach · present · vault · stick

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. lean — thin
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. present — there
  6. track — to keep track
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. present — a gift
  9. club — for golf
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. club — a group
  13. vault — a safe
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. pound — a weight
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. lean — to bend
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. track — a path
  20. club — for dancing
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. track — a song
  24. present — the time now

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