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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: fork · present · pit · suit · wake · mug · scale · snap

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  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. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. suit — to fit
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. pit — a hole
  7. present — the time now
  8. fork — in a road
  9. suit — in cards
  10. mug — a cup
  11. present — a gift
  12. mug — to rob
  13. suit — clothes
  14. scale — size or range
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. wake — a trail
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. present — there
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. mug — a face
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. pit — in a race
  23. scale — in music
  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