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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: file · straw · pit · pitch · fork · rock · suit · last

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. pit — in a race
  5. file — a line of people
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pit — a hole
  8. suit — clothes
  9. pitch — completely
  10. fork — in a road
  11. suit — in cards
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. last — final
  14. suit — to fit
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. last — finally
  17. last — to go on
  18. file — a document
  19. rock — music
  20. rock — a stone
  21. file — a tool
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. straw — a straw man

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