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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. club — a group
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. pop — to visit
  6. vault — a safe
  7. pop — soda
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. prune — to trim
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. lean — to bend
  12. land — a country
  13. pop — music
  14. row — a line
  15. club — for dancing
  16. land — ground
  17. club — for golf
  18. prune — to trim
  19. row — to paddle
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. land — to come down
  23. lean — thin
  24. row — a quarrel

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