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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: shower · track · rest · coach · pit · tube · bore · fork

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. tube — the underground
  3. rest — what's left
  4. shower — to wash
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. tube — a container
  8. track — a song
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. rest — what's left
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. track — to keep track
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. shower — rain
  18. pit — in a race
  19. bore — to drill
  20. fork — in a road
  21. bore — to tire
  22. pit — a hole
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. rest — a break

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