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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: bore · prune · vault · perch · ground · bear · toast · bank

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bank — for money
  4. bear — the animal
  5. ground — a position
  6. vault — a safe
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. prune — to trim
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. ground — crushed
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. ground — the earth
  18. bear — the animal
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — of a river
  22. prune — to trim
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. toast — bread

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