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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: rush · fork · coach · bore · key · pop · cap · bound

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pop — music
  4. cap — a lid
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bound — certain
  8. key — the most important part
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bore — to tire
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pop — soda
  13. rush — hurry
  14. fork — in a road
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. cap — of ice
  17. bound — tied together
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. cap — a hat
  20. key — for a lock
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. key — in music
  24. bore — to drill

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