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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. fork — in a road
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. roll — a cake
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. roll — a list
  12. track — to keep track
  13. last — finally
  14. track — a song
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. vault — a safe
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. track — a path
  22. last — to go on
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. last — final

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