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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: tear · suit · pitcher · present · prune · swing · mark · vault

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. prune — to trim
  3. suit — in cards
  4. present — a gift
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. swing — music
  7. tear — to rip
  8. suit — clothes
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. suit — to fit
  11. present — there
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. swing — to play on
  14. vault — a safe
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. tear — from crying
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. prune — to trim
  21. present — the time now
  22. swing — in golf
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mark — a grade

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