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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: stick · saw · vault · prune · swing · pit · stem · drill

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. pit — in a race
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. swing — to play on
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. swing — in golf
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — to trim
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. drill — the tool
  13. stem — to come from
  14. drill — army training
  15. vault — a safe
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. saw — the tool
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. drill — a practice
  20. saw — the tool
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. swing — music
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. pit — a hole

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