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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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. clip — to cut
  3. degree — temperature
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. degree — from a university
  6. clip — a video
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. bear — the animal
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. pit — a hole
  12. vault — a safe
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. content — the amount
  15. content — happy
  16. bear — the animal
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. pit — in a race
  22. clip — for paper
  23. degree — an amount
  24. safe — a strongbox

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