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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: fork · bear · rash · bore · fine · swing · ball · kick

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fine — high quality
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. rash — hasty
  5. swing — music
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. swing — to play on
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. rash — a series
  10. fine — all right
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. bear — the animal
  17. ball — a dance
  18. kick — in football
  19. swing — in golf
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. bore — to tire
  23. ball — a great time
  24. fork — in a road

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