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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 116 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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. pit — a hole
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. prune — to trim
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. net — after costs
  9. root — of a plant
  10. present — a gift
  11. net — in sport
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. root — of a word
  17. prune — to trim
  18. pit — in a race
  19. vault — a safe
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. net — for catching
  22. present — there
  23. root — the cause
  24. present — the time now

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