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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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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. ball — a dance
  3. bore — to tire
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. pitch — completely
  7. fork — in a road
  8. pop — soda
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. last — to go on
  12. bore — to drill
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. ball — a great time
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pop — to visit
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. land — to come down
  19. last — finally
  20. land — a country
  21. last — final
  22. land — ground
  23. pop — music
  24. fork — a garden tool

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