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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. court — for sport
  3. firm — steady
  4. content — happy
  5. mark — a grade
  6. bore — to drill
  7. cap — of ice
  8. firm — decided
  9. bore — to tire
  10. mark — a trace
  11. firm — a company
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. cap — a lid
  14. cap — a hat
  15. content — the amount
  16. court — of law
  17. tear — from crying
  18. court — of a king
  19. tear — to rip
  20. tear — from crying
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. fork — in a road

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