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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: tube · vault · mark · degree · mine · perch · fork · snap

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  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. mark — a grade
  2. fork — in a road
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. mine — for digging
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. degree — temperature
  11. mark — a trace
  12. tube — the underground
  13. degree — an amount
  14. degree — from a university
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. snap — to click
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. tube — a container
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. perch — the fish
  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