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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. bore — to tire
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. fork — in a road
  6. craft — a skill
  7. can — to be able to
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. wake — a trail
  10. can — a tin
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. foot — a measure
  14. row — a line
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. row — to paddle
  17. board — a committee
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. can — a tin
  20. craft — boats
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. bore — to drill
  24. board — to get on

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