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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 120 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: court · key · fork · firm · safe · bore · patient · pound

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. firm — decided
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. court — of a king
  8. bore — to drill
  9. key — in music
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bore — to tire
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. pound — a weight
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. court — of law
  16. firm — steady
  17. key — the most important part
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. firm — a company
  21. court — for sport
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. fork — in a road
  24. fork — a garden 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