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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 · land · present · kid · bark · safe · fork · rock

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. rock — a stone
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. fork — in a road
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. rock — music
  9. land — to come down
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. present — there
  14. bark — to shout
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. land — ground
  17. vault — a safe
  18. kid — child
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. present — a gift
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. land — a country
  24. present — the time now

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