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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. track — a song
  5. rule — a law
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. court — for sport
  8. court — of law
  9. track — to keep track
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. prune — to trim
  12. firm — a company
  13. stand — to bear
  14. rule — government
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. march — the month
  17. track — a path
  18. firm — steady
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. court — of a king
  22. march — the month
  23. march — music
  24. vault — a safe

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