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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. perch — the fish
  3. rule — a law
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. rule — government
  6. charge — a price
  7. charge — in control
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. bear — the animal
  11. track — a song
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cap — a hat
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. track — to keep track
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. charge — electricity
  18. track — a path
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. bear — the animal
  21. prune — to trim
  22. cap — a lid
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — the fruit

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