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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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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: suit · fork · rash · pit · rush · sharp · bound · calf

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. rash — hasty
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. bound — obliged
  5. rash — a series
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. rush — hurry
  10. pit — in a race
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. sharp — clever
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bound — certain
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. suit — in cards
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. suit — clothes
  20. bound — tied together
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. pit — a hole
  23. fork — in a road
  24. rush — to hurry

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