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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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. fine — high quality
  3. capital — a city
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. bore — to tire
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. pit — a hole
  10. sharp — clever
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. capital — money
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. fine — all right
  16. pit — in a race
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. branch — a division
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. bore — to drill

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