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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: spring · court · fork · snap · stick · mouse · pit · chair

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. spring — the season
  4. fork — in a road
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. court — for sport
  8. spring — of water
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. pit — a hole
  15. pit — in a race
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. chair — a leader
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. court — of a king
  20. court — of law
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. spring — a coil
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. snap — to click

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