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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.

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: fork · track · rock · chest · bulb · suit · coach · press

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  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 light ________________ burned out.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. chest — of your body
  3. bulb — for light
  4. suit — clothes
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. press — a publisher
  7. chest — a box
  8. suit — to fit
  9. chest — of your body
  10. fork — in a road
  11. suit — in cards
  12. bulb — for light
  13. track — to keep track
  14. track — a path
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. track — a song
  17. press — newspapers
  18. press — to push
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rock — music
  24. bulb — of a plant

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