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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: tube · lean · toast · pitcher · drill · swing · sharp · vault

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. swing — music
  3. tube — the underground
  4. lean — to bend
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. drill — a practice
  7. drill — the tool
  8. drill — army training
  9. toast — bread
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. sharp — clever
  12. vault — a safe
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. tube — a container
  19. lean — thin
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. swing — in golf
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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