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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 120 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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. fine — all right
  8. fork — in a road
  9. mate — a partner
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. last — final
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. last — finally
  15. last — to go on
  16. mate — to breed
  17. bound — tied together
  18. chair — a leader
  19. mate — a friend
  20. vault — a safe
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. bound — certain
  23. bound — obliged
  24. fine — high quality

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