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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. vault — a safe
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. bear — the animal
  10. march — the month
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. march — the month
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. march — music
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. pitch — completely
  21. bear — the animal
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. prune — to trim
  24. nail — for a hammer

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