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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: club · sharp · pitch · bank · rush · board · rest · fork

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. rest — a break
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. pitch — completely
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bank — for money
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. bank — of a river
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. rest — what's left
  16. sharp — clever
  17. club — for dancing
  18. board — a committee
  19. rush — hurry
  20. bank — for money
  21. fork — in a road
  22. club — for golf
  23. club — a group
  24. board — to get on

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