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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 120 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: racket · prune · pass · stock · chair · safe · cell · vault

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. cell — in biology
  5. stock — goods
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. chair — a leader
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. stock — shares
  14. vault — a safe
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. prune — to trim
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. cell — a phone
  21. prune — to trim
  22. pass — a permit
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. safe — out of danger

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