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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: track · saw · pitch · racket · fork · face · march · coach

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. march — music
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. march — the month
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pitch — completely
  14. track — a path
  15. track — to keep track
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. face — to point toward
  18. march — the month
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. face — to confront
  22. face — part of the head
  23. track — a song
  24. fork — in a road

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