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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 116 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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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. vault — in gymnastics
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. land — ground
  8. key — the most important part
  9. band — a music group
  10. can — a tin
  11. last — to go on
  12. last — finally
  13. land — a country
  14. key — for a lock
  15. vault — a safe
  16. pass — a permit
  17. last — final
  18. key — in music
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — to be able to
  21. land — to come down
  22. band — a ring
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. pass — to succeed

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