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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 116 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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bore — to drill
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. craft — boats
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. field — a subject
  8. field — farmland
  9. craft — a skill
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. bat — the animal
  12. content — happy
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. land — ground
  16. bore — to tire
  17. land — to come down
  18. land — a country
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. field — for sport
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. content — the amount

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