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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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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: wake · fork · pit · stick · object · wind

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. 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. wind — moving air
  2. object — an aim
  3. pit — in a race
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. object — a thing
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. wake — a trail
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. pit — a hole
  15. wind — moving air
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. object — to protest
  18. 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