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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: vault · mug · stem · field · pass · prune · toast · board

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. stem — to come from
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. vault — a safe
  9. mug — a face
  10. board — a committee
  11. field — farmland
  12. prune — to trim
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. board — to get on
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. mug — a cup
  17. field — for sport
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. field — a subject
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. mug — to rob
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. toast — bread
  24. prune — to trim

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