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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: bore · fork · pound · row · mate · march · chair · nail

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. march — music
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bore — to drill
  7. fork — in a road
  8. mate — to breed
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. march — the month
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. mate — a partner
  17. march — the month
  18. row — a line
  19. chair — a leader
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. bore — to tire
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. row — to paddle
  24. mate — a friend

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