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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: fine · deal · bore · saw · ball · shower · race · fork

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. fork — in a road
  3. shower — to wash
  4. bore — to tire
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. bore — to drill
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. shower — rain
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. saw — the tool
  13. fine — all right
  14. race — humankind
  15. ball — a dance
  16. ball — a great time
  17. fine — high quality
  18. race — a contest
  19. race — the arms race
  20. deal — to handle
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. ball — a round shape

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