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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: fork · tube · pitch · cold · bound · pop · mark · board

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. fork — in a road
  4. mark — a grade
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. cold — an illness
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. bound — obliged
  10. tube — a container
  11. bound — tied together
  12. tube — the underground
  13. pitch — completely
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. cold — not warm
  16. pop — music
  17. pop — to visit
  18. board — to get on
  19. mark — a trace
  20. board — a committee
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. pop — soda
  23. bound — certain
  24. board — a flat piece

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