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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 116 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: bore · tube · swing · race · bass · fork · pitch · suit

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. fork — in a road
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bore — to tire
  5. suit — in cards
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. suit — clothes
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. race — a contest
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. bass — the fish
  12. pitch — completely
  13. swing — music
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. swing — to play on
  18. race — humankind
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. tube — a container
  21. race — the arms race
  22. swing — in golf
  23. bass — low music
  24. suit — to fit

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