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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. rule — a law
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. court — of a king
  9. firm — a company
  10. net — in sport
  11. net — for catching
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. court — for sport
  14. net — after costs
  15. court — of law
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. vault — a safe
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. firm — decided
  20. firm — steady
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. prune — to trim
  23. rule — government
  24. calf — a young animal

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