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

Word bank: pit · bore · stand · rule · snap · fork

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. fork — in a road
  3. bore — to drill
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. snap — to click
  6. pit — in a race
  7. rule — a law
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. bore — to tire
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. pit — a hole
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. stand — to bear
  17. rule — government
  18. snap — to snap out of it

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