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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: bank · stick · perch · vault · fork · cell

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. perch — the fish
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bank — of a river
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. bank — for money
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. bank — for money
  10. cell — in biology
  11. cell — a phone
  12. fork — in a road
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. vault — a safe
  17. cell — in a prison
  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