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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: kick · bore · fork · stick · hide · pound

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. pound — a weight
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. fork — in a road
  6. kick — in football
  7. bore — to drill
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bore — to tire
  18. stick — to attach or keep to

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