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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: clip · roll · vault · court · charge · prune · nail · craft

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. roll — a cake
  3. charge — a price
  4. clip — to cut
  5. court — for sport
  6. clip — a video
  7. charge — in control
  8. vault — a safe
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. prune — to trim
  13. clip — for paper
  14. craft — boats
  15. craft — a skill
  16. court — of a king
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. prune — to trim
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. roll — a list
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. court — of law
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. roll — on a roll

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