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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: prune · vault · stock · sharp · craft · wake · roll · foot

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. roll — a list
  3. wake — a trail
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. craft — boats
  6. sharp — clever
  7. prune — to trim
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. stock — goods
  10. stock — shares
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. roll — a cake
  17. prune — to trim
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. foot — a measure
  22. vault — a safe
  23. craft — a skill
  24. sharp — exactly

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