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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: fork · prune · firm · vault · kid · chair · patient · ruler

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. firm — a company
  4. chair — a leader
  5. prune — to trim
  6. kid — to tease
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. firm — decided
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. fork — in a road
  21. prune — to trim
  22. firm — steady
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. vault — a safe

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