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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. charge — in control
  4. file — a document
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. file — a line of people
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. prune — to trim
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. charge — a price
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. cell — a phone
  15. craft — a skill
  16. vault — a safe
  17. craft — boats
  18. cell — in biology
  19. swing — music
  20. file — a tool
  21. charge — electricity
  22. swing — in golf
  23. swing — to play on
  24. mouse — the animal

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