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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: content · roll · clip · fork · deal · perch · vault · calf

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. clip — to cut
  8. perch — the fish
  9. vault — a safe
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. content — happy
  12. roll — a cake
  13. clip — for paper
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. clip — a video
  19. roll — a list
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. content — the amount
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. fork — in a road

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