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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. ball — a great time
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. mug — a face
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. ball — a dance
  7. mug — a cup
  8. track — to keep track
  9. season — of the year
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. prune — to trim
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. mug — to rob
  15. season — in sport
  16. track — a song
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. vault — a safe
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. track — a path
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. branch — a division

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