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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. vault — a safe
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. land — to come down
  9. fork — in a road
  10. shower — to wash
  11. land — ground
  12. spell — letters
  13. game — a match
  14. shower — rain
  15. land — a country
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. staff — employees
  18. spell — magic
  19. staff — employees
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. spell — a short time
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. game — wild animals
  24. staff — a stick

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