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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: spring · court · rock · perch · lash · sharp · vault · prune

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. rock — a stone
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. court — of law
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. spring — a coil
  7. prune — to trim
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. court — of a king
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. spring — the season
  12. sharp — clever
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. vault — a safe
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. rock — music
  17. spring — of water
  18. prune — to trim
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. perch — the fish
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. perch — for a bird

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