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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: spring · hand · mug · prune · pass · deal · pop · vault

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  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. deal — a big deal
  2. pop — soda
  3. hand — help
  4. pop — music
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. spring — a coil
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. hand — in cards
  10. pop — to visit
  11. deal — to handle
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. mug — a cup
  15. prune — to trim
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. spring — the season
  19. vault — a safe
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. mug — to rob
  22. mug — a face
  23. prune — to trim
  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