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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: vault · prune · roll · spring · court · nail · can · pit

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. pit — in a race
  5. vault — a safe
  6. spring — a coil
  7. roll — a list
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. can — a tin
  12. court — of a king
  13. prune — to trim
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. court — for sport
  17. spring — the season
  18. roll — a cake
  19. can — a tin
  20. prune — to trim
  21. pit — a hole
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. court — of law
  24. spring — of water

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