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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: pitcher · lean · vault · stick · jam · prune · present · mate

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. present — there
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mate — to breed
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. present — the time now
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. mate — a friend
  11. vault — a safe
  12. lean — thin
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. present — a gift
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. lean — to bend
  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