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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: coach · fork · content · object · march · kick · rock · stand

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. fork — in a road
  3. march — music
  4. kick — in football
  5. stand — to bear
  6. content — the amount
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. object — to protest
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. rock — music
  15. content — happy
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. march — the month
  18. object — a thing
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. object — an aim
  24. march — the month

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