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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. prune — to trim
  3. ground — a position
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. ground — crushed
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ground — the earth
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bank — for money
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. present — the time now
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. ball — a dance
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. band — a music group
  17. present — there
  18. pound — a weight
  19. bank — of a river
  20. ball — a great time
  21. bank — for money
  22. band — a ring
  23. present — a gift
  24. vault — a safe

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