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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. prune — to trim
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. ground — a position
  6. vault — a safe
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. ground — the earth
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. degree — an amount
  11. stand — to bear
  12. drill — a practice
  13. ground — crushed
  14. suit — to fit
  15. branch — a division
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. degree — temperature
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. drill — the tool
  20. suit — clothes
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. suit — in cards
  23. degree — from a university
  24. drill — army training

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