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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: fork · temple · file · pitch · tube · coach · hide · bear

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bear — the animal
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. tube — a container
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. fork — in a road
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. file — a tool
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. file — a document
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bear — the animal
  21. tube — the underground
  22. pitch — completely
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. file — a line of people

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