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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. pass — a permit
  4. bore — to tire
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. field — a subject
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. swing — music
  9. swing — in golf
  10. field — for sport
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. bore — to drill
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. tube — the underground
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. field — farmland
  21. swing — to play on
  22. fork — in a road
  23. pitch — completely
  24. tube — a container

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