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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 · deal · object · land · fall · pitcher · fork · cabinet

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. 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. cabinet — ministers
  2. land — a country
  3. object — a thing
  4. land — to come down
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. vault — a safe
  10. fall — to drop
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. land — ground
  13. deal — to handle
  14. fork — in a road
  15. object — to protest
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. fall — to drop
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. object — an aim
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. fall — the season
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. 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