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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. vault — a safe
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. charge — a price
  7. stem — to come from
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. prune — to trim
  11. fork — in a road
  12. row — to paddle
  13. track — a path
  14. rush — hurry
  15. charge — in control
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. charge — electricity
  20. track — to keep track
  21. prune — to trim
  22. track — a song
  23. row — a line
  24. prune — the fruit

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