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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: craft · fork · vault · pass · rash · bank · prune · content

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  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. pass — to spend time
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. bank — for money
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. craft — a skill
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. vault — a safe
  11. content — happy
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. craft — boats
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. bank — of a river
  16. pass — a permit
  17. content — the amount
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. bank — for money
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rash — a series
  22. fork — in a road
  23. fork — to eat with
  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