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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: mark · pop · game · prune · stock · deal · vault · ball

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. game — a match
  3. prune — to trim
  4. stock — shares
  5. mark — a trace
  6. deal — to handle
  7. pop — to visit
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. ball — a dance
  11. pop — music
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. game — wild animals
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. pop — soda
  18. stock — goods
  19. prune — to trim
  20. vault — a safe
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. mark — a grade
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. game — a kind of play

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