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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: wake · bear · snap · pitch · fork · mouse · calf · key

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. bear — the animal
  5. key — for a lock
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. key — in music
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. key — the most important part
  18. pitch — completely
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. snap — to click
  22. wake — a trail
  23. fork — in a road
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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