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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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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: fork · vault · pit · stem · chest · wave

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. stem — to come from
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. chest — a box
  6. pit — a hole
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. chest — of your body
  12. fork — in a road
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. vault — a safe
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. chest — of your body

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