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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. vault — a safe
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. drill — a practice
  7. content — the amount
  8. bear — the animal
  9. can — a tin
  10. date — the fruit
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. drill — the tool
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — a stick
  18. content — happy
  19. can — a tin
  20. prune — to trim
  21. can — to be able to
  22. drill — army training
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. bear — the animal

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