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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: coach · key · rest · rash · roll · tube · fork · pitch

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. roll — a list
  4. rash — hasty
  5. pitch — completely
  6. key — for a lock
  7. rash — a series
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. key — in music
  12. fork — in a road
  13. tube — a container
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. rest — a break
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. rest — what's left
  22. key — the most important part
  23. tube — the underground
  24. roll — a cake

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