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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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. vault — a safe
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. saw — the tool
  8. kid — child
  9. game — a match
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. game — wild animals
  15. spring — the season
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. spring — a coil
  19. spring — of water
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. kid — to tease
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. game — a kind of play

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