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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. fork — in a road
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. present — the time now
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. content — happy
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. bore — to drill
  15. branch — a division
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. bore — to tire
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. pitch — completely
  20. present — a gift
  21. roll — a list
  22. present — there
  23. content — the amount
  24. roll — a cake

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