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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 116 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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. degree — an amount
  4. file — a line of people
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. vault — a safe
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. file — a document
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. fork — in a road
  12. degree — temperature
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. file — a tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. saw — the tool
  21. plane — a tool
  22. degree — from a university
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. saw — the tool

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