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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: cell · ball · mouse · rock · chip · prune · date · vault

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. rock — music
  3. ball — a dance
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. chip — to eat
  6. rock — a stone
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. vault — a safe
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. ball — a great time
  16. chip — for betting
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. cell — in biology
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. prune — to trim
  21. cell — a phone
  22. date — the fruit
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. prune — the fruit

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