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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: pit · prune · perch · vault · cell · hand · cabinet · file

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. file — a line of people
  3. perch — the fish
  4. prune — to trim
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. pit — in a race
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. hand — help
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. cell — a phone
  18. hand — in cards
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. file — a document
  21. prune — to trim
  22. vault — a safe
  23. file — a tool
  24. cell — in biology

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