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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: mark · pop · sharp · firm · vault · kick · prune · arm

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. pop — to visit
  4. vault — a safe
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — to trim
  10. firm — steady
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. firm — decided
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. sharp — clever
  15. firm — a company
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. mark — a grade
  19. mark — a trace
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. pop — soda
  23. kick — in football
  24. pop — music

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