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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. prune — to trim
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. kick — in football
  8. saw — the tool
  9. prune — to trim
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. court — of law
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. root — of a plant
  17. pitch — completely
  18. court — of a king
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. root — the cause
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. root — of a word
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. court — for sport

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