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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: court · band · bark · nail · fork · jam · dip · vault

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. court — for sport
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. court — of law
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. vault — a safe
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. band — a music group
  20. dip — to sink
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. court — of a king
  24. band — a ring

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