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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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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: fork · scale · bat · fall · bore · court · calf · march

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fork — in a road
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. fall — the season
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. march — music
  8. scale — in music
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. bore — to tire
  12. march — the month
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bat — the animal
  15. court — of law
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. march — the month
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. scale — size or range
  22. court — of a king
  23. court — for sport
  24. fall — to drop

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