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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.

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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: coach · clip · fork · pitch · current · foot · temple · mark

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  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. current — of water
  2. current — happening now
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. clip — to cut
  6. mark — a grade
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. clip — for paper
  11. mark — a trace
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. current — electric
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. foot — a measure
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. clip — a video
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. pitch — completely
  23. temple — a place of worship
  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