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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 116 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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mate — a partner
  5. key — in music
  6. prune — to trim
  7. key — the most important part
  8. clip — a video
  9. track — to keep track
  10. perch — the fish
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bound — tied together
  14. clip — for paper
  15. track — a song
  16. bound — certain
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. mate — a friend
  19. key — for a lock
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. track — a path
  22. clip — to cut
  23. vault — a safe
  24. prune — to trim

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