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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: vault · band · mark · foot · fork · fan · object · deal

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. band — a music group
  3. foot — a measure
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. object — to protest
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. mark — a grade
  10. vault — a safe
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. band — a ring
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. object — a thing
  16. deal — to handle
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. fork — in a road
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. object — an aim
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — a supporter

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