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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: wind · bore · rule · fork · bat · ball · object · pop

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. object — a thing
  3. bore — to drill
  4. ball — a dance
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. pop — music
  7. bore — to tire
  8. pop — soda
  9. object — an aim
  10. rule — government
  11. wind — moving air
  12. pop — to visit
  13. ball — a great time
  14. rule — a law
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. object — to protest
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. fork — in a road
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. bat — the animal
  24. rule — to rule out

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