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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. pit — a hole
  3. hand — help
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. hand — in cards
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. pit — in a race
  12. bark — to shout
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. prune — to trim
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. foot — a measure
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. vault — a safe
  22. roll — a list
  23. roll — a cake
  24. bark — of a tree

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