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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: vault · cue · rule · pitch · prune · present · leaves · snap

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. prune — to trim
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. present — there
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. cue — for pool
  9. present — a gift
  10. rule — a law
  11. rule — government
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. present — the time now
  14. prune — to trim
  15. cue — a signal
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. vault — a safe
  22. cue — a hint
  23. snap — to click
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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