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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 120 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: foot · season · vault · prune · craft · pass · cold · object

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. cold — not warm
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. craft — boats
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. vault — a safe
  8. object — an aim
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — in sport
  12. object — to protest
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. prune — to trim
  16. pass — a permit
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. object — a thing
  19. cold — an illness
  20. craft — a skill
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. prune — to trim
  24. foot — a measure

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