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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: sharp · cap · net · fork · bore · bound · bear · craft

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. cap — of ice
  3. net — after costs
  4. net — for catching
  5. bore — to tire
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. net — in sport
  10. bound — certain
  11. bore — to drill
  12. cap — a lid
  13. bound — obliged
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — the animal
  17. craft — boats
  18. cap — a hat
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. craft — a skill
  23. fork — in a road
  24. sharp — clever

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