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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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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — to trim
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. net — in sport
  6. net — after costs
  7. spell — a short time
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a path
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. vault — a safe
  12. spell — magic
  13. spell — letters
  14. row — a line
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. bulb — for light
  20. row — to paddle
  21. net — for catching
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. track — a song
  24. arm — part of the body

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