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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: straw · ground · ball · foot · fork · pitch · bore · suit

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. ground — crushed
  3. suit — to fit
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. bore — to tire
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. ground — a position
  14. bore — to drill
  15. ball — a dance
  16. pitch — completely
  17. foot — a measure
  18. ground — the earth
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. suit — clothes
  21. fork — in a road
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. ball — a great time
  24. suit — in cards

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