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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: bat · pit · fork · scale · vault · tear

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. fork — in a road
  3. tear — from crying
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. vault — a safe
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. bat — the animal
  11. pit — a hole
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. scale — in music
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. pit — in a race
  17. tear — to rip
  18. tear — from crying

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