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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 116 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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. vault — a safe
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. fine — high quality
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — to trim
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. ground — the earth
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. ground — a position
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. ground — crushed
  21. squash — to crush
  22. squash — the sport
  23. fine — all right
  24. lash — an eyelash

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