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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 116 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: prune · mate · vault · fork · cell · cap · row · fine

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. cap — of ice
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. row — to paddle
  6. vault — a safe
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. fine — high quality
  10. mate — to breed
  11. fine — all right
  12. cap — a lid
  13. cell — in biology
  14. row — a line
  15. fork — in a road
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. prune — to trim
  19. mate — a friend
  20. cap — a hat
  21. cell — a phone
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. fork — a garden tool
  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