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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: plane · mark · file · pitcher · date · fork · kick · vault

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. plane — a tool
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. file — a tool
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. file — a document
  11. date — the fruit
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. fork — in a road
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mark — a trace
  22. file — a line of people
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. vault — a safe

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