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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 120 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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. can — to be able to
  3. fork — in a road
  4. can — a tin
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. vault — a safe
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. ball — a dance
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. prune — to trim
  15. ball — a great time
  16. game — wild animals
  17. game — a match
  18. prune — to trim
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. can — a tin

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