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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 · bank · chair · vault · mate · march · racket · clip

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. march — the month
  3. march — music
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. clip — for paper
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. vault — a safe
  8. mate — a friend
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. mate — a partner
  14. march — the month
  15. bank — for money
  16. clip — to cut
  17. fork — in a road
  18. bank — for money
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. chair — a leader
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. clip — a video
  24. mate — to breed

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