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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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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: bore · staff · land · content · fork · deal · kick · capital

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. land — ground
  5. staff — employees
  6. fork — in a road
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. bore — to tire
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. deal — to handle
  11. content — happy
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. staff — a stick
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. bore — to drill
  18. capital — a city
  19. land — a country
  20. staff — employees
  21. capital — money
  22. land — to come down
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. content — the amount

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