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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 · bear · pitcher · object · rule · patient · fall · bore

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bore — to tire
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. fork — in a road
  9. object — an aim
  10. bear — the animal
  11. fall — to drop
  12. rule — a law
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bear — the animal
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. rule — government
  18. object — to protest
  19. fall — the season
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. bore — to drill

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