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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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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: sharp · fork · board · tear · bore · suit · pit · content

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. suit — clothes
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. sharp — clever
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bore — to tire
  10. fork — in a road
  11. suit — in cards
  12. tear — from crying
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. content — happy
  15. content — the amount
  16. board — to get on
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. tear — to rip
  20. tear — from crying
  21. pit — a hole
  22. suit — to fit
  23. board — a committee
  24. pit — in a race

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