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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: prune · vault · pound · racket · mine · mark · pit · calf

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. pound — a weight
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. prune — to trim
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. mark — a grade
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. pit — a hole
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. pit — in a race
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. mark — a trace
  21. vault — a safe
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. mine — for digging
  24. racket — a loud noise

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