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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. scale — in music
  3. court — for sport
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. capital — money
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. court — of a king
  10. snap — to click
  11. court — of law
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. pit — a hole
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. capital — a city
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. scale — size or range
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — to trim
  23. pit — in a race
  24. fork — in a road

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