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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: tube · rule · staff · rash · net · fork · coach · pitch

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. staff — employees
  3. rule — government
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. net — in sport
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. fork — in a road
  12. staff — employees
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. tube — a container
  17. rash — hasty
  18. pitch — completely
  19. rule — a law
  20. tube — the underground
  21. rash — a series
  22. net — after costs
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. staff — a stick

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