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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: track · vault · object · ball · wind · chip · face · prune

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. ball — a dance
  3. wind — moving air
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. face — part of the head
  7. object — an aim
  8. vault — a safe
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. track — a song
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. prune — to trim
  13. face — to point toward
  14. chip — for betting
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. track — to keep track
  17. ball — a great time
  18. chip — to eat
  19. wind — moving air
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. track — a path
  22. object — a thing
  23. face — to confront
  24. object — to protest

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