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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. prune — to trim
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. content — happy
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. content — the amount
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. craft — a skill
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. mark — a trace
  18. vault — a safe
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. prune — to trim
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. pitch — completely
  23. craft — boats
  24. calf — a young animal

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