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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 · staff · hide · content · rest · drill · deal · pit

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. drill — the tool
  3. pit — in a race
  4. fork — in a road
  5. pit — a hole
  6. content — the amount
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. drill — a practice
  9. staff — employees
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. staff — employees
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. drill — army training
  14. rest — a break
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. deal — to handle
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. rest — what's left
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. content — happy
  24. rest — what's left

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