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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. club — for dancing
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. cell — in biology
  7. club — for golf
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. vault — a safe
  10. present — the time now
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. bark — to shout
  15. present — there
  16. fork — in a road
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. present — a gift
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. cell — a phone
  22. club — a group
  23. pit — in a race
  24. pit — a hole

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