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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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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: vault · rush · prune · stock · court · plane · bound · mine

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. plane — a tool
  7. bound — tied together
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. court — of law
  10. court — of a king
  11. bound — obliged
  12. stock — goods
  13. stock — shares
  14. bound — certain
  15. vault — a safe
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. court — for sport
  20. mine — for digging
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — to trim
  24. rush — hurry

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