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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: march · fine · kick · game · fork · calf · mark · bore

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. fork — in a road
  5. game — wild animals
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. bore — to tire
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. march — the month
  12. kick — in football
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. bore — to drill
  16. mark — a trace
  17. march — the month
  18. march — music
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. fine — all right
  22. fine — high quality
  23. mark — a grade
  24. game — a match

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