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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: capital · bore · pop · mate · fork · plane · bear · stick

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. bore — to drill
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. pop — soda
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. mate — a partner
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bear — the animal
  10. plane — a tool
  11. capital — a city
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. fork — in a road
  17. mate — to breed
  18. pop — music
  19. capital — money
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. mate — a friend
  22. bore — to tire
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. pop — to visit

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