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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 116 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: bore · march · vault · object · rest · fork

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. march — music
  3. march — the month
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. bore — to drill
  6. object — an aim
  7. march — the month
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. bore — to tire
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — what's left
  12. object — a thing
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. fork — in a road
  15. rest — a break
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. vault — a safe
  18. object — to protest

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