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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 120 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: pitch · vault · cold · coach · drill · bound · object · sharp

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. bound — certain
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. bound — tied together
  6. sharp — clever
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. drill — army training
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. object — a thing
  13. object — an aim
  14. drill — the tool
  15. cold — not warm
  16. bound — obliged
  17. object — to protest
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. vault — a safe
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. drill — a practice
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. cold — an illness
  24. pitch — completely

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