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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: board · vault · pit · bark · chest · arm · fork · spell

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  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. fork — in a road
  2. bark — to shout
  3. chest — of your body
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. pit — in a race
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. pit — a hole
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. board — to get on
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. spell — a short time
  17. chest — a box
  18. spell — magic
  19. board — a committee
  20. vault — a safe
  21. chest — of your body
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. spell — letters
  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