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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. pass — a permit
  3. staff — a stick
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. ground — the earth
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. prune — to trim
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. staff — employees
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. ground — crushed
  16. prune — to trim
  17. ground — a position
  18. staff — employees
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. mark — a grade
  23. perch — the fish
  24. mark — a trace

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