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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. can — a tin
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. row — to paddle
  6. cap — of ice
  7. row — a line
  8. track — a path
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. prune — to trim
  11. vault — a safe
  12. date — the fruit
  13. cap — a hat
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. can — a tin
  16. bass — the fish
  17. can — to be able to
  18. bass — low music
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. track — a song
  21. cap — a lid
  22. prune — to trim
  23. track — to keep track
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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