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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fork · capital · safe · bore · pound · craft · season · rush

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. bore — to drill
  8. rush — hurry
  9. capital — money
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. bore — to tire
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. craft — a skill
  15. season — in sport
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. fork — in a road
  18. season — of the year
  19. capital — a city
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. craft — boats
  22. pound — a weight
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. pound — to hit hard

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