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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  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 — in a road
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. net — after costs
  4. row — to paddle
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. charge — electricity
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. row — a line
  11. dip — to sink
  12. net — for catching
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. march — music
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. vault — a safe
  19. charge — in control
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. charge — a price
  22. net — in sport
  23. march — the month
  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