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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. row — to paddle
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. mark — a grade
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. season — in sport
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. fork — in a road
  13. game — a match
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. club — for dancing
  16. vault — a safe
  17. season — of the year
  18. mark — a trace
  19. club — for golf
  20. club — a group
  21. game — wild animals
  22. snap — to click
  23. row — a line
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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