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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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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: bear · craft · ruler · fork · pit · racket

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bear — the animal
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. fork — in a road
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. pit — in a race
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. craft — a skill
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. pit — a hole

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