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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 116 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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. shower — to wash
  3. stock — shares
  4. scale — size or range
  5. fall — to drop
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. stock — goods
  8. fall — the season
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. bank — of a river
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. shower — rain
  13. prune — to trim
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. bank — for money
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. perch — the fish
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. vault — a safe
  20. scale — in music
  21. prune — to trim
  22. fall — to drop
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bank — for money

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