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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: fine · bore · fork · nail · date · spell · bowl · pitcher

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. fine — high quality
  5. spell — a short time
  6. fine — all right
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. bore — to tire
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. spell — magic
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. fork — in a road
  21. date — the fruit
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. spell — letters

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