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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: firm · fork · vault · chair · kick · pitcher

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. firm — a company
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. fork — in a road
  10. firm — steady
  11. firm — decided
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. vault — a safe
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. kick — in football
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. fork — to eat with

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