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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: vault · current · court · stock · prune · sharp · plane · mark

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. vault — a safe
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. plane — a tool
  5. court — of law
  6. current — of water
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. prune — to trim
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. stock — goods
  11. current — electric
  12. sharp — clever
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. prune — to trim
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. court — of a king
  19. court — for sport
  20. mark — a trace
  21. stock — shares
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. current — happening now

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