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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 120 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: fork · scale · pound · fall · snap · saw · pit · board

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. pound — a weight
  6. fork — in a road
  7. board — to get on
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. pit — in a race
  11. saw — the tool
  12. snap — to click
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. fall — the season
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. scale — size or range
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. fall — to drop
  19. pit — a hole
  20. board — a committee
  21. fall — to drop
  22. scale — in music
  23. saw — the tool
  24. fork — a garden tool

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