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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. prune — to trim
  5. vault — a safe
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. mug — a face
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. court — of law
  10. court — of a king
  11. prune — to trim
  12. mug — to rob
  13. mine — for digging
  14. court — for sport
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. fork — in a road
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. mug — a cup
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. pass — a permit
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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