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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 124 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: pound · stick · craft · pass · object · fork · wake · roll

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. roll — a list
  4. craft — boats
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. craft — a skill
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. pass — a permit
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. pound — a weight
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. wake — a trail
  17. object — a thing
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. roll — a cake
  22. object — an aim
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. fork — in a road

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