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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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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: mug · squash · pit · vault · stem · hand · fork · spring

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. spring — a coil
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. pit — in a race
  5. squash — the sport
  6. spring — the season
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. spring — of water
  10. squash — to crush
  11. hand — help
  12. hand — in cards
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. fork — in a road
  18. mug — to rob
  19. vault — a safe
  20. pit — a hole
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. stem — to come from
  23. mug — a cup
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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