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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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bear — the animal
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. ground — crushed
  6. ground — a position
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. ground — the earth
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. dip — to sink
  15. bear — the animal
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. vault — a safe
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. cabinet — ministers

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