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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  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. bore — gave birth
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bore — to tire
  5. season — in sport
  6. fork — in a road
  7. pop — music
  8. firm — decided
  9. wind — moving air
  10. current — of water
  11. pop — soda
  12. firm — a company
  13. season — of the year
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. current — happening now
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. bore — to drill
  18. pop — to visit
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. firm — steady
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. current — electric
  24. fork — a garden tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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