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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. can — a tin
  3. perch — the fish
  4. can — a tin
  5. vault — a safe
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. swing — in golf
  8. fine — all right
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — to trim
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. can — to be able to
  15. race — the arms race
  16. swing — music
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. race — humankind
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. fine — high quality
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. race — a contest
  24. swing — to play on

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