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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: pit · drill · coach · swing · cue · mate · dip · vault

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pit — in a race
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. cue — a signal
  9. cue — for pool
  10. dip — to sink
  11. swing — music
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mate — a friend
  14. swing — to play on
  15. swing — in golf
  16. mate — to breed
  17. cue — a hint
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. pit — a hole
  20. vault — a safe
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. drill — the tool
  23. drill — a practice
  24. drill — army training

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