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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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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: vault · can · ruler · mug · bark · fall · prune · racket

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. fall — to drop
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. prune — to trim
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. mug — a face
  10. can — to be able to
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. fall — the season
  13. fall — to drop
  14. mug — a cup
  15. can — a tin
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. mug — to rob
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. bark — to shout
  22. prune — to trim
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. can — a tin

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