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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: dip · spring · vault · plane · racket · game · fork · bore

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. dip — to sink
  4. game — wild animals
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. spring — the season
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. game — a match
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. bore — to drill
  13. spring — of water
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. fork — in a road
  17. spring — a coil
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. plane — a tool
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. bore — to tire
  24. vault — a safe

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