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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 · wake · track · pit · snap · bat · plane · cap

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  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. plane — a tool
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. track — a path
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. track — to keep track
  9. pit — a hole
  10. track — a song
  11. bat — the animal
  12. pit — in a race
  13. snap — to click
  14. cap — a hat
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. wake — a trail
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. cap — of ice
  20. cap — a lid
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  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