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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: fork · stick · row · key · bore · cell · squash · cap

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bore — to drill
  3. row — a line
  4. squash — to crush
  5. fork — in a road
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. cap — a hat
  8. row — to paddle
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. cell — in biology
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. key — in music
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. cap — of ice
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. key — for a lock
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. cap — a lid
  21. squash — the sport
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. key — the most important part
  24. cell — a phone

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