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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 · fork · craft · vault · chip · racket · stick · wind

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  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. vault — a safe
  2. craft — boats
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. chip — for betting
  12. chip — to eat
  13. wind — moving air
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. stem — to come from
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. fork — in a road
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. wind — moving air
  22. craft — a skill
  23. fork — a garden tool
  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