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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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Word bank
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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 is an ace ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  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. pitcher — in baseball
  2. clip — a video
  3. clip — for paper
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. key — in music
  8. prune — to trim
  9. deal — to handle
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. prune — to trim
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. clip — to cut
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. chair — a leader
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. key — the most important part
  21. key — for a lock
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. vault — a safe
  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