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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 120 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: march · cap · prune · spring · can · vault · staff · suit

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. spring — the season
  3. cap — of ice
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. can — a tin
  6. staff — employees
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. spring — of water
  9. suit — to fit
  10. cap — a lid
  11. can — a tin
  12. prune — to trim
  13. march — the month
  14. suit — in cards
  15. spring — a coil
  16. staff — a stick
  17. march — music
  18. suit — clothes
  19. can — to be able to
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. staff — employees
  22. march — the month
  23. cap — a hat
  24. prune — to trim

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