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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: fork · vault · chip · branch · ball · pass · bark · stand

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. ball — a dance
  4. ball — a great time
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. vault — a safe
  7. branch — a division
  8. stand — to bear
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. pass — a permit
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. chip — to eat
  22. bark — to shout
  23. chip — for betting
  24. fork — in a road

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