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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: file · march · chest · rock · can · bore · coach · fork

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. file — a tool
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. march — the month
  5. chest — of your body
  6. can — a tin
  7. chest — a box
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. can — to be able to
  11. chest — of your body
  12. file — a line of people
  13. rock — music
  14. bore — to tire
  15. rock — a stone
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. file — a document
  18. march — music
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. fork — in a road
  21. bore — to drill
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. march — the month

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