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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: fork · file · vault · fan · perch · game · rock · mate

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. vault — a safe
  6. file — a line of people
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mate — to breed
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. game — a match
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. rock — music
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. fork — in a road
  17. file — a tool
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rock — a stone
  20. mate — a friend
  21. file — a document
  22. game — wild animals
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — for a bird

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