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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: chip · vault · stand · patient · shower · fork

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. chip — for betting
  3. fork — in a road
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. shower — to wash
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. shower — rain
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. chip — to eat
  15. vault — a safe
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. stand — to bear

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