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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. pit — in a race
  3. cue — a hint
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. stock — goods
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. land — to come down
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. prune — to trim
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. cue — for pool
  13. dip — to sink
  14. vault — a safe
  15. cue — a signal
  16. land — a country
  17. pit — a hole
  18. land — ground
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. stock — shares
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. wake — a trail

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