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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. stem — to come from
  4. fall — to drop
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. squash — to crush
  9. fine — all right
  10. fine — high quality
  11. prune — to trim
  12. squash — the sport
  13. prune — to trim
  14. fall — to drop
  15. pitch — completely
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. pound — a weight
  18. fall — the season
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. vault — a safe
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. squash — the vegetable

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