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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · pitch · bore · tube · racket · bowl · suit · last

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. tube — a container
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. last — final
  5. last — finally
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. tube — the underground
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. suit — clothes
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. bore — to drill
  13. suit — to fit
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. suit — in cards
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bore — to tire
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. pitch — completely

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