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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. pop — to visit
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. prune — to trim
  7. pit — a hole
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. pop — music
  12. vault — a safe
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pop — soda
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. sharp — clever
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. stem — to come from
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. stem — of a plant

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