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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 116 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: bark · pit · mine · vault · wind · coach · charge · fork

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. fork — in a road
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. charge — in control
  7. mine — for digging
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. charge — electricity
  11. bark — to shout
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. charge — a price
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. wind — moving air
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. pit — a hole
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. vault — a safe
  24. pit — in a race

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