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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: board · pitcher · craft · bat · fork · prune · trunk · vault

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. craft — a skill
  8. vault — a safe
  9. craft — boats
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. bat — the animal
  14. fork — in a road
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. board — a committee
  22. board — to get on
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. prune — to trim

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