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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: vault · squash · object · bat · stick · prune · staff · swing

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. object — an aim
  4. staff — a stick
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. vault — a safe
  8. staff — employees
  9. object — to protest
  10. bat — the animal
  11. staff — employees
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. swing — music
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. prune — to trim
  17. swing — in golf
  18. squash — to crush
  19. squash — the sport
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. swing — to play on
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. prune — to trim
  24. object — a thing

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