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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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Word bank
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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: land · hand · row · prune · game · vault · trunk · pass

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. 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. trunk — of a tree
  2. game — wild animals
  3. row — to paddle
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. land — a country
  7. row — a line
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. land — to come down
  11. vault — a safe
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. land — ground
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. hand — in cards
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — to trim
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. game — a match
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. hand — help
  24. 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