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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 120 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: pass · foot · net · fork · cap · race · bore · deal

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. deal — to handle
  5. race — the arms race
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bore — to drill
  8. fork — in a road
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — a lid
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. cap — of ice
  14. net — for catching
  15. foot — a measure
  16. net — in sport
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. net — after costs
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. race — humankind
  21. race — a contest
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. pass — a permit

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