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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: bowl · roll · lie · prune · chip · vault · perch · row

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  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. prune — the fruit
  2. roll — a list
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. chip — for betting
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. vault — a safe
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. chip — to eat
  15. row — to paddle
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. roll — a cake
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. lie — to recline
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. prune — to trim
  22. row — a line
  23. perch — the fish
  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