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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. shower — to wash
  5. march — the month
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. march — the month
  8. bank — for money
  9. pitch — completely
  10. bank — of a river
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. shower — rain
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. vault — a safe
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. march — music
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. wake — a trail
  22. fork — in a road
  23. bank — for money
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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