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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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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: stand · kick · vault · track · foot · ball · toast · prune

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. vault — a safe
  4. prune — to trim
  5. toast — bread
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. track — a song
  9. track — a path
  10. stand — to bear
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. foot — a measure
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ball — a dance
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. kick — in football
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. track — to keep track
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. prune — to trim
  24. stand — for spectators

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