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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: arm · chip · fork · face · board · vault · swing · racket

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. vault — a safe
  6. chip — for betting
  7. swing — in golf
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. chip — to eat
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. face — part of the head
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. face — to confront
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. board — a committee
  18. swing — to play on
  19. board — to get on
  20. fork — in a road
  21. swing — music
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. fork — a garden tool

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