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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: can · kid · nail · hide · fork · row · rock · court

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. fork — in a road
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. court — of a king
  6. court — for sport
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. court — of law
  10. can — a tin
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. row — a line
  13. rock — a stone
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. can — to be able to
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. rock — music
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. kid — to tease
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. row — to paddle
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. can — a tin

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