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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: bowl · vault · file · patient · kick · fork · date · charge

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. file — a line of people
  5. fork — in a road
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. vault — a safe
  8. charge — electricity
  9. kick — in football
  10. file — a document
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. charge — a price
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. file — a tool
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. charge — in control
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. date — the fruit
  24. bowl — to roll

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