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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. rash — hasty
  3. chair — a leader
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. vault — a safe
  7. game — wild animals
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. rash — a series
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. pit — in a race
  17. game — a match
  18. pit — a hole
  19. prune — to trim
  20. craft — boats
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. prune — to trim
  23. craft — a skill
  24. craft — a handicraft

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