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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. bass — the fish
  5. foot — a measure
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. shower — to wash
  11. bass — low music
  12. vault — a safe
  13. shower — rain
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — for money
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. fork — in a road
  18. bank — of a river

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