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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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Word bank
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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: vault · fork · ground · mate · press · toast

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. press — to push
  3. ground — the earth
  4. toast — bread
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mate — a partner
  9. ground — a position
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. press — newspapers
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. press — a publisher
  14. ground — crushed
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. fork — in a road
  17. mate — to breed
  18. vault — an arched ceiling

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