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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
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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: game · vault · chair · date · nail · wake · prune · mark

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. mark — a grade
  7. game — wild animals
  8. wake — a trail
  9. mark — a trace
  10. prune — to trim
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. game — a match
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. vault — a safe
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. chair — a leader

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