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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: stem · vault · board · kick · fork · calf · cell · pit

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. cell — in biology
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. stem — to come from
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. pit — a hole
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. pit — in a race
  11. fork — in a road
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. kick — in football
  18. board — to get on
  19. board — a committee
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. vault — a safe
  22. cell — a phone
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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