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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  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. vault — a safe
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. shower — rain
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — for light
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. scale — in music
  11. plane — a tool
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. shower — to wash
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. scale — size or range
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. deal — to handle
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. date — the fruit
  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