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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.

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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: mark · fork · coach · stock · pitch · temple · mine · straw

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. mark — a grade
  7. stock — goods
  8. pitch — completely
  9. mark — a trace
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. stock — shares
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. fork — in a road
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. mine — for digging

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