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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. prune — to trim
  4. perch — the fish
  5. club — for dancing
  6. club — for golf
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. vault — a safe
  9. bass — the fish
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. bass — low music
  15. prune — to trim
  16. branch — a division
  17. mark — a grade
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. mark — a trace
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. club — a group

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