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

Word bank: craft · content · fork · pound · fall · bore · court · calf

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bore — to drill
  3. court — of law
  4. fall — the season
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bore — to tire
  9. fork — in a road
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. content — the amount
  13. craft — boats
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. pound — a weight
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. court — of a king
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. content — happy
  23. court — for sport
  24. craft — a skill

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