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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: mouse · vault · fork · roll · foot · fine · pitch · tear

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. fork — in a road
  5. tear — to rip
  6. fine — all right
  7. foot — a measure
  8. tear — from crying
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. roll — a list
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. tear — from crying
  15. roll — a cake
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. vault — a safe
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. pitch — completely
  24. fine — a penalty

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