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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fine · hand · mug · fork · vault · nail · field · root

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. fine — all right
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. root — of a plant
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. fork — in a road
  8. hand — help
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. mug — a face
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. field — farmland
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. root — of a word
  18. mug — to rob
  19. fine — high quality
  20. hand — in cards
  21. field — a subject
  22. root — the cause
  23. mug — a cup
  24. field — for sport

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