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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: vault · mate · fork · rest · pop · bank · sharp · pound

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. mate — a partner
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pop — music
  5. bank — for money
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. sharp — clever
  8. pop — soda
  9. bank — of a river
  10. fork — in a road
  11. mate — to breed
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. rest — what's left
  14. mate — a friend
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. rest — what's left
  17. pop — to visit
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. bank — for money
  21. vault — a safe
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. rest — a break

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