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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. foot — a measure
  3. land — a country
  4. lean — to bend
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. fork — in a road
  7. land — to come down
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. net — after costs
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. row — a line
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. lean — thin
  14. vault — a safe
  15. row — to paddle
  16. branch — a division
  17. net — in sport
  18. land — ground
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. net — for catching
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. row — a quarrel

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