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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: field · row · vault · saw · pound · root · charge · prune

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. field — farmland
  5. prune — to trim
  6. saw — the tool
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. charge — electricity
  9. root — of a plant
  10. pound — a weight
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. field — a subject
  13. root — the cause
  14. field — for sport
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. root — of a word
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. prune — to trim
  20. vault — a safe
  21. charge — in control
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. row — a line
  24. charge — a price

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