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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: toast · club · ruler · bass · prune · vault · date · hide

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. date — the fruit
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bass — the fish
  5. vault — a safe
  6. club — a group
  7. club — for golf
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. club — for dancing
  11. bass — low music
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. prune — to trim
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. toast — bread
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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