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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 116 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: perch · bore · patient · court · pit · craft · fork · pop

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. bore — to drill
  4. craft — a skill
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. fork — in a road
  7. pop — music
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pit — in a race
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bore — to tire
  13. pop — soda
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — the fish
  20. court — of law
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. craft — boats
  23. pop — to visit
  24. court — of a king

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