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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: mark · prune · mine · bulb · vault · fine · kid · drill

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. fine — high quality
  4. drill — the tool
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bulb — for light
  7. mark — a trace
  8. bulb — for light
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. kid — child
  13. mark — a grade
  14. drill — a practice
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. prune — to trim
  17. vault — a safe
  18. mine — for digging
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. drill — army training
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. fine — all right
  24. kid — to tease

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