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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: nail · wake · shower · racket · vault · chair · ball · fork

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. vault — a safe
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. chair — a leader
  7. ball — a great time
  8. ball — a dance
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. wake — a trail
  16. shower — to wash
  17. fork — in a road
  18. shower — rain
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. fork — a garden tool

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