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

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. fork — in a road
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. vault — a safe
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. row — to paddle
  14. pitch — completely
  15. deal — to handle
  16. row — a line
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. deal — an agreement

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