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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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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: net · stick · file · fork · pit · last · dip · object

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. pit — a hole
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. pit — in a race
  6. file — a document
  7. file — a tool
  8. last — to go on
  9. last — finally
  10. object — to protest
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. file — a line of people
  14. object — a thing
  15. fork — in a road
  16. object — an aim
  17. net — in sport
  18. net — after costs
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. dip — to sink
  22. last — final
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. net — for catching

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