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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: prune · vault · club · trunk · jam · dip · pound · shower

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. prune — to trim
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. shower — to wash
  9. pound — a weight
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. club — a group
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. prune — to trim
  19. vault — a safe
  20. dip — to sink
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. shower — rain
  23. club — for golf
  24. pound — to hit hard

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