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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. wake — a trail
  4. prune — to trim
  5. rock — a stone
  6. plane — a tool
  7. field — farmland
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. field — for sport
  11. present — a gift
  12. pop — music
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. rock — music
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. pop — soda
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. vault — a safe
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. prune — to trim
  22. field — a subject
  23. present — there
  24. present — the time now

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