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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. board — a committee
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. fork — in a road
  7. vault — a safe
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. chip — to eat
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. board — to get on
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. plane — a tool
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. chip — for betting
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. object — an aim
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. object — a thing
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. stem — to come from
  24. board — a flat piece

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