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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. rock — music
  3. cue — for pool
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. vault — a safe
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. bore — to tire
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. prune — to trim
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. cue — a signal
  15. date — the fruit
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. rock — a stone
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bore — to drill
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. cue — a hint

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