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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  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. suit — in cards
  2. vault — a safe
  3. shower — to wash
  4. suit — to fit
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. track — to keep track
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bore — to tire
  12. suit — clothes
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. track — a path
  17. bore — to drill
  18. stand — to bear
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pitch — completely
  21. track — a song
  22. prune — to trim
  23. shower — rain
  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