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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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Word bank
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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: fork · season · bore · staff · cell · ruler

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. cell — in biology
  5. cell — a phone
  6. bore — to drill
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. fork — in a road
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. season — of the year
  11. staff — employees
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. bore — to tire
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. staff — employees
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. season — in sport

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