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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: rule · wind · cap · object · branch · fork · vault · jam

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. object — an aim
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. wind — moving air
  7. rule — government
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. cap — a lid
  11. vault — a safe
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. rule — a law
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. wind — moving air
  18. object — a thing
  19. object — to protest
  20. cap — a hat
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. fork — in a road
  23. cap — of ice
  24. branch — a division

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