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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: bear · key · bank · pit · bore · file · coach · kick

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. pit — a hole
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bear — the animal
  8. key — for a lock
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. file — a document
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pit — in a race
  13. bank — for money
  14. file — a line of people
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bank — for money
  20. file — a tool
  21. key — in music
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. key — the most important part
  24. kick — a thrill

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