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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: mate · deal · pit · pass · wake · craft · fork · tear

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. mate — a partner
  3. pit — in a race
  4. craft — a skill
  5. tear — to rip
  6. deal — to handle
  7. pass — a permit
  8. wake — a trail
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. mate — to breed
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. mate — a friend
  13. tear — from crying
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. tear — from crying
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. pit — a hole
  22. fork — in a road
  23. craft — boats
  24. fork — to eat with

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