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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: bear · jam · stand · bore · kid · fork · mark · row

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  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. fork — a garden tool
  2. stand — to bear
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. mark — a grade
  5. fork — in a road
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. kid — to tease
  8. mark — a trace
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. bore — to tire
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bear — the animal
  15. row — a line
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. row — to paddle
  19. kid — child
  20. bear — the animal
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. row — a quarrel
  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