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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. date — the fruit
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. clip — to cut
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. pop — to visit
  10. vault — a safe
  11. pop — music
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. rash — a series
  15. pop — soda
  16. roll — a cake
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. prune — to trim
  19. clip — for paper
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. roll — a list
  23. rash — hasty
  24. clip — a video

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