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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. field — farmland
  4. field — for sport
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. vault — a safe
  7. club — a group
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. field — a subject
  11. club — for golf
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. club — for dancing
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. fork — in a road
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. nail — for a hammer

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