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

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. chip — to eat
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. prune — to trim
  5. cue — a signal
  6. craft — boats
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. mine — for digging
  12. track — to keep track
  13. craft — a skill
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. chip — for betting
  16. prune — to trim
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. track — a song
  19. cue — for pool
  20. kick — in football
  21. vault — a safe
  22. cue — a hint
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. track — a path

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