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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 120 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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. rash — a series
  4. land — a country
  5. fork — in a road
  6. net — in sport
  7. rash — hasty
  8. land — to come down
  9. vault — a safe
  10. net — for catching
  11. perch — the fish
  12. press — to push
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — to trim
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. net — after costs
  19. press — a publisher
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. land — ground
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. press — newspapers

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