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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. pit — a hole
  3. march — the month
  4. mate — a friend
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. lean — to bend
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. march — music
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. pop — soda
  14. mate — a partner
  15. lean — thin
  16. vault — a safe
  17. pass — a permit
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. mate — to breed
  20. pop — music
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. fork — in a road
  23. pop — to visit
  24. march — the month

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