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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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Word bank
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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: march · degree · fork · lash · pit · snap · racket · ruler

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. march — the month
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. fork — in a road
  7. degree — an amount
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. snap — to click
  14. march — music
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. pit — in a race
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. degree — from a university
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. pit — a hole
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. degree — temperature
  24. march — the month

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