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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. stock — shares
  4. swing — to play on
  5. content — happy
  6. prune — to trim
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. swing — in golf
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. swing — music
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. content — the amount
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. vault — a safe
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. plane — a tool
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — for light
  24. stock — goods

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