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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: mouse · bore · bulb · safe · pop · file · fork · game

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. bore — to tire
  4. pop — music
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. fork — in a road
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. game — a match
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. bore — to drill
  12. file — a tool
  13. game — wild animals
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. pop — to visit
  17. file — a document
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — for light
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. file — a line of people
  24. pop — soda

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