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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: date · jam · hand · fine · prune · bulb · vault · temple

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. bulb — for light
  3. fine — high quality
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. prune — to trim
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. vault — a safe
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. hand — in cards
  12. date — the fruit
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. prune — to trim
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. bulb — for light
  24. fine — all right

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