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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: club · root · vault · mug · swing · mark · rush · prune

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. mark — a trace
  3. swing — music
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. mug — a cup
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. prune — to trim
  9. swing — to play on
  10. root — of a plant
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. root — the cause
  13. club — for dancing
  14. swing — in golf
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. club — a group
  18. rush — hurry
  19. prune — to trim
  20. vault — a safe
  21. mug — a face
  22. mug — to rob
  23. mark — a grade
  24. root — of a word

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