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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pit · can · fork · spell · wake · court · bore · snap

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  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. spell — a short time
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. can — a tin
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. wake — a trail
  7. court — of law
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. snap — to click
  10. court — of a king
  11. pit — a hole
  12. bore — to drill
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. fork — in a road
  15. can — to be able to
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. court — for sport
  18. can — a tin
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. spell — letters
  21. bore — to tire
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. spell — magic
  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