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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. scale — in music
  3. firm — a company
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. prune — to trim
  6. scale — size or range
  7. firm — decided
  8. vault — a safe
  9. craft — boats
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. prune — to trim
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. firm — steady
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. craft — a skill
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. prune — the fruit

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