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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: fork · kid · bear · fine · bound · pit · bowl · shower

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. bound — obliged
  3. fork — in a road
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. bear — the animal
  8. kid — child
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bear — the animal
  11. pit — a hole
  12. fine — high quality
  13. shower — rain
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. bound — certain
  18. kid — to tease
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. pit — in a race
  22. fine — all right
  23. shower — to wash
  24. bound — tied together

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