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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: calf · pitcher · fork · clip · net · perch · bear · vault

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bear — the animal
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. perch — the fish
  8. vault — a safe
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. fork — in a road
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. clip — a video
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. clip — to cut
  17. bear — the animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. net — after costs
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. net — in sport
  23. net — for catching
  24. clip — for paper

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