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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: fork · vault · spell · temple · deal · march · bay · field

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. vault — a safe
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. spell — magic
  7. fork — in a road
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. spell — a short time
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. field — for sport
  13. march — the month
  14. march — music
  15. field — a subject
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. field — farmland
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. spell — letters
  20. march — the month
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. deal — to handle
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bay — a horse colour

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