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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: wave · fork · vault · game · pound · kick · plane · chip

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  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. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. fork — in a road
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. chip — for betting
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. vault — a safe
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. plane — a tool
  18. kick — in football
  19. chip — to eat
  20. game — wild animals
  21. game — a match
  22. pound — a weight
  23. game — a kind of play
  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