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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: fork · coach · stand · racket · firm · spring · content · fall

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. fall — the season
  4. spring — the season
  5. fall — to drop
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. content — happy
  9. spring — of water
  10. firm — steady
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. spring — a coil
  16. content — the amount
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. stand — to bear
  20. fall — to drop
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. firm — a company
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. firm — decided

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