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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. pit — in a race
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. stand — to bear
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. game — wild animals
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. prune — to trim
  16. band — a ring
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. pit — a hole
  19. branch — a division
  20. band — a music group
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. prune — to trim
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. vault — a safe

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