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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. vault — a safe
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. saw — the tool
  6. fine — all right
  7. squash — the sport
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. band — a music group
  10. content — the amount
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. stock — goods
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. saw — the tool
  17. prune — to trim
  18. stock — shares
  19. squash — to crush
  20. band — a ring
  21. fine — high quality
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. content — happy

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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