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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 124 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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. fall — to drop
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. fork — in a road
  7. tube — the underground
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. fall — to drop
  12. tube — a container
  13. mine — for digging
  14. vault — a safe
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — of a river
  17. chip — for betting
  18. chip — to eat
  19. fall — the season
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. bank — for money
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. fork — a garden 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