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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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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: racket · prune · sharp · vault · mark · jam · toast · spell

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. spell — letters
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. toast — bread
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. mark — a grade
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. prune — to trim
  12. mark — a trace
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. sharp — clever
  18. spell — magic
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. spell — a short time
  21. vault — a safe
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. prune — to trim
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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