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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: prune · stem · suit · press · club · vault

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. press — a publisher
  3. vault — a safe
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. suit — in cards
  6. prune — to trim
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. prune — to trim
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. press — newspapers
  11. stem — to come from
  12. club — for dancing
  13. suit — to fit
  14. press — to push
  15. club — a group
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. suit — clothes
  18. vault — an arched ceiling

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