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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: race · coach · fork · mate · mouse · snap · stick · bowl

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. race — a contest
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. fork — in a road
  7. mate — a partner
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. mate — a friend
  13. race — the arms race
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mate — to breed
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. race — humankind

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