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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: rock · can · hand · bore · file · pitch · fork · mark

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. rock — a stone
  4. file — a line of people
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. file — a document
  7. hand — in cards
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. rock — music
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. fork — in a road
  15. mark — a grade
  16. file — a tool
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. bore — to tire
  19. hand — help
  20. can — a tin
  21. bore — to drill
  22. can — to be able to
  23. pitch — completely
  24. can — a tin

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