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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fan · vault · chair · file · fork · bark · swing · roll

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. file — a line of people
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. roll — a cake
  5. file — a tool
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. file — a document
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. vault — a safe
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. swing — to play on
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. roll — a list
  17. swing — music
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. fork — in a road
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. swing — in golf
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. bark — to shout

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