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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: pit · vault · rule · fork · coach · patient

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. rule — government
  5. vault — a safe
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. rule — a law
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. pit — in a race
  16. fork — in a road
  17. pit — a hole
  18. coach — pulled by horses

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