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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: season · prune · vault · fork · key · scale · pit · lean

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. key — for a lock
  3. prune — to trim
  4. scale — size or range
  5. key — in music
  6. season — of the year
  7. season — in sport
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. pit — in a race
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. vault — a safe
  12. pit — a hole
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. scale — in music
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. lean — to bend
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. lean — thin
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. prune — to trim
  24. key — the most important part

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