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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: nail · dip · rash · vault · bowl · track · ground · prune

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. track — a path
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. rash — hasty
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. rash — a series
  9. track — a song
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. track — to keep track
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. vault — a safe
  15. ground — the earth
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. ground — crushed
  20. dip — to sink
  21. ground — a position
  22. prune — to trim
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bowl — a football final

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