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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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468
Word bank
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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: spell · craft · deal · vault · shower · ball · fork · mine

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. spell — magic
  3. mine — for digging
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. ball — a great time
  6. deal — to handle
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. fork — in a road
  12. spell — letters
  13. shower — rain
  14. spell — a short time
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. craft — a skill
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. craft — boats
  21. shower — to wash
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. ball — a dance
  24. deal — an agreement

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