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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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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: fine · calf · game · drill · rest · content · staff · fork

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. fine — high quality
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. fork — in a road
  5. content — happy
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. content — the amount
  9. staff — employees
  10. game — a match
  11. rest — a break
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. fine — all right
  16. drill — army training
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. rest — what's left
  20. staff — employees
  21. game — wild animals
  22. rest — what's left
  23. drill — a practice
  24. drill — the tool

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