Homographs Fill in the Gap Worksheets - Top Teacher - Free Printable

Absolutely! Let’s solve this homograph worksheet step by step. Homographs are words that are spelled the same but have different meanings (and sometimes different pronunciations). We need to pick one word from the box that fits both sentences in each numbered pair.

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Words in the box:
second, bat, lead, row, tear, contracts, evening, bow, fine, wound

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1. Tie a ________ to finish wrapping the present.

→ bow (as in a ribbon tied in a bow)

Take a ________ when you finish your performance.

→ bow (as in to bend at the waist to acknowledge applause)

✔ Answer: bow

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2. All the girls started screaming when a ________ flew into their camp cabin.

→ bat (the flying mammal)

The softball team gave their star player a new ________ for her birthday.

→ bat (the sports equipment used to hit the ball)

✔ Answer: bat

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3. I hoped my best friend would sit in my ________ at school.

→ row (a line of seats or desks)

We had to ________ the boat all the way across the lake to get home.

→ row (to propel a boat with oars)

✔ Answer: row

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4. Since my books were late, the librarian told me to pay a ________.

→ fine (a penalty fee)

Gabriel was sick yesterday, but today he’s feeling ________.

→ fine (healthy, okay)

✔ Answer: fine

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5. When Allan fell off of his bike, he got a bad ________ on his leg.

→ wound (an injury)

Lisa ________ up the duck toy and let it waddle down the hallway.

→ wound (past tense of “wind” — to twist or turn something to make it work, like a wind-up toy)

✔ Answer: wound

*(Note: “wound” as injury is pronounced /wuːnd/, while “wound” as past tense of wind is pronounced /wʊnd/ — classic homograph!)*

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6. Mom said I could improve my sculpture by ________ out the bumps.

→ lead (to guide or direct — though this one is tricky; wait — actually, “lead” doesn’t fit well here. Let’s re-examine.)

Wait — perhaps we misread. Let’s look again:

> Mom said I could improve my sculpture by ________ out the bumps.

This likely means “smooth out” — but “lead” doesn’t mean that.

Actually, let’s check the second sentence:

> My father doesn’t get home from work until late in the ________.

That’s clearly evening.

So if the second blank is evening, then the first must also be evening? But that doesn’t make sense — “improve my sculpture by evening out the bumps” — YES!

“Evening out” = to make smooth or level.

And “late in the evening” = time of day.

✔ Answer: evening

*(“Evening” can mean the time of day, or the verb phrase “even out” — though technically “evening” is not the verb, but “even” is. However, in common usage, “evening out” is accepted, and since “evening” is in the box and fits both contexts, this is the intended answer.)*

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7. In science I learned that my stomach expands and ________ as I eat.

→ contracts (muscles tighten — stomach contracts after expanding)

Wait — “expands and contracts” — yes, that’s a common pair.

But let’s check the second sentence:

> ??? — Wait, there’s no second sentence listed for #7 in your image? Actually, looking back, the worksheet has 7 numbered items, but #7 only has one sentence? That might be an error.

Looking closely at the original image text you provided:

> 7. In science I learned that my stomach expands and ________ as I eat.

There’s no second sentence for #7. But the instructions say: “Write the homograph that completes both sentences.” So perhaps there’s a typo or missing sentence.

Let’s check the word list again. What word could go with “expands and ________”? Likely contracts.

Is there another sentence that could use “contracts”? For example:

> He signed several business ________ last week.

Yes! “Contracts” — legal agreements.

So perhaps the second sentence was accidentally omitted. Assuming it’s meant to be:

> He signed several business ________ last week.

Then:

✔ Answer: contracts

*(“Contracts” as in agreements, and “contracts” as in muscles tightening — though “contract” as verb is pronounced differently than “contracts” as noun, it’s still considered a homograph in some contexts.)*

Alternatively, if the worksheet truly only has one sentence for #7, then “contracts” is still the only logical fit for “expands and contracts.”

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## ✔ Final Answers:

1. bow
2. bat
3. row
4. fine
5. wound
6. evening
7. contracts

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## 📝 Summary of Homographs Used:

| Word | Meaning 1 | Meaning 2 |
|------------|-------------------------------|------------------------------------|
| bow | ribbon decoration | to bend at waist |
| bat | flying animal | sports equipment |
| row | line of seats | to paddle a boat |
| fine | penalty fee | healthy/well |
| wound | injury | past tense of wind (to twist) |
| evening | time of day | to smooth out (as in “even out”) |
| contracts | legal agreements | to shrink/tighten (muscle action) |

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Let me know if you’d like this turned into a printable answer key or want explanations for kids! 😊