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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: sharp · object · swing · pitch · toast · last · coach · plane

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. object — an aim
  4. swing — to play on
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. last — final
  7. object — to protest
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. plane — a tool
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. last — finally
  12. pitch — completely
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. toast — bread
  17. sharp — clever
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. swing — in golf
  22. last — to go on
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. swing — music

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