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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. root — the cause
  5. mate — a friend
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. net — for catching
  8. mate — a partner
  9. net — in sport
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. root — of a plant
  12. vault — a safe
  13. root — of a word
  14. mate — to breed
  15. prune — to trim
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. net — after costs
  18. rash — hasty
  19. prune — to trim
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. rash — a series
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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