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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 116 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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. mug — a face
  3. rock — music
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. mug — to rob
  8. march — the month
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. ball — a great time
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. ball — a dance
  13. vault — a safe
  14. rock — a stone
  15. fork — in a road
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. march — the month
  20. pitch — completely
  21. march — music
  22. mug — a cup
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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