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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 · chip · ground · pitch · kick · can · fork · deal

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. can — a tin
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. pitch — completely
  6. fork — in a road
  7. deal — to handle
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. chip — for betting
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. vault — a safe
  12. can — a tin
  13. chip — to eat
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. kick — in football
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. can — to be able to
  19. ground — crushed
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. ground — a position
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. ground — the earth

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