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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: wave · fork · vault · game · pound · kick

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. fork — in a road
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. game — a match
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. pound — a weight
  12. game — wild animals
  13. kick — in football
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. fork — a garden tool

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