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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. spring — a coil
  3. prune — to trim
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. spring — of water
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. vault — a safe
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. rule — a law
  12. prune — to trim
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. rule — government
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. date — the fruit
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. date — on the calendar

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