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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 120 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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. row — to paddle
  3. season — of the year
  4. key — the most important part
  5. hand — help
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. club — for golf
  10. key — in music
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. club — for dancing
  14. prune — to trim
  15. fork — in a road
  16. prune — to trim
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. season — in sport
  19. row — a line
  20. key — for a lock
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. club — a group
  23. vault — a safe
  24. hand — in cards

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