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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. key — in music
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. chip — to eat
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. vault — a safe
  11. fork — in a road
  12. key — for a lock
  13. drill — the tool
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. drill — army training
  17. chip — for betting
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bark — to shout
  21. key — the most important part
  22. drill — a practice
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. plane — a tool

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