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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: season · foot · fork · shower · drill · pass · vault · perch

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. season — of the year
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. pass — a permit
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. vault — a safe
  9. foot — a measure
  10. drill — the tool
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. perch — the fish
  14. shower — rain
  15. shower — to wash
  16. fork — in a road
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. drill — a practice
  21. drill — army training
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. season — in sport
  24. foot — the bottom

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