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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 · mark · pitcher · rule · straw · file · foot · bore

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. foot — a measure
  5. file — a line of people
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. rule — government
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. mark — a trace
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. fork — in a road
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. rule — a law
  17. file — a document
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. mark — a grade
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. file — a tool
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bore — to drill

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