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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. net — in sport
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. vault — a safe
  8. net — for catching
  9. foot — a measure
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. prune — to trim
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. rule — a law
  14. prune — to trim
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bat — the animal
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. net — after costs
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. rule — government
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. bat — in an idiom

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