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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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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: mate · can · object · scale · snap · wake · fork · ruler

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. can — to be able to
  4. can — a tin
  5. object — a thing
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. scale — size or range
  8. object — an aim
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. can — a tin
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — a trail
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. mate — to breed
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. object — to protest
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. snap — to click
  20. mate — a partner
  21. mate — a friend
  22. fork — in a road
  23. scale — in music
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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