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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. pop — soda
  3. pop — music
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. prune — to trim
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. vault — a safe
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. pop — to visit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. wake — a trail
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. fine — all right
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. fine — high quality
  24. wake — before a funeral

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