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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: mate · chip · vault · rock · fork · trunk · bowl · straw

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. mate — to breed
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. chip — for betting
  12. chip — to eat
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. mate — a partner
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. fork — in a road
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. rock — music
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. rock — a stone
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. mate — a friend

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