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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: bat · bound · vault · kid · trunk · prune · perch · deal

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. bound — certain
  5. prune — to trim
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. bound — obliged
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. prune — to trim
  13. vault — a safe
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. kid — to tease
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. bat — the animal
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. bound — tied together
  21. perch — the fish
  22. deal — to handle
  23. kid — child
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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