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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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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: pop · vault · stick · bass · rash · rest · fork · prune

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. pop — music
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. pop — soda
  6. rash — a series
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. vault — a safe
  9. rest — what's left
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — to trim
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. pop — to visit
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. rash — hasty
  20. fork — in a road
  21. bass — the fish
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. rest — a break
  24. bass — low music

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