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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. firm — a company
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. rest — what's left
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. rest — a break
  9. firm — decided
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. chair — a leader
  12. perch — the fish
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rule — government
  17. rule — a law
  18. prune — to trim
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. vault — a safe
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. firm — steady
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bass — low music

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