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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. bear — the animal
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. suit — in cards
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. vault — a safe
  8. fork — in a road
  9. track — a song
  10. track — to keep track
  11. capital — money
  12. track — a path
  13. capital — a city
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. prune — to trim
  17. scale — in music
  18. bear — the animal
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. suit — to fit
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. scale — size or range

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