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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. vault — a safe
  5. drill — the tool
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bass — low music
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. net — in sport
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. drill — army training
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. drill — a practice
  18. net — for catching

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