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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. rest — a break
  3. plane — a tool
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. perch — the fish
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. prune — to trim
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. net — in sport
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. prune — to trim
  14. net — after costs
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. rest — what's left
  17. net — for catching
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. rest — what's left
  22. vault — a safe
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. fork — in a road

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