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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: calf · key · mark · hide · fork · coach · march · drill

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. mark — a grade
  3. key — the most important part
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. drill — army training
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. march — music
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. fork — in a road
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. drill — a practice
  15. mark — a trace
  16. drill — the tool
  17. march — the month
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. key — for a lock
  20. march — the month
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. coach — a trainer

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