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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: fork · mine · vault · cabinet · present · racket

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. mine — for digging
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. present — the time now
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. present — a gift
  9. fork — in a road
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. present — there
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. vault — a safe
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. racket — for tennis

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