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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. staff — employees
  6. wind — moving air
  7. scale — size or range
  8. stand — to bear
  9. wind — moving air
  10. content — the amount
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. fork — in a road
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bore — to tire
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. scale — in music
  18. content — happy
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. staff — a stick
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. bore — to drill
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. staff — employees

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