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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. prune — to trim
  5. vault — a safe
  6. tube — the underground
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. chair — a leader
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. kid — child
  13. tube — a container
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stock — goods
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. kid — to tease
  18. stock — shares
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. saw — the tool
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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