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

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — for money
  5. race — a contest
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bank — of a river
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. shower — to wash
  12. race — the arms race
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. cue — a hint
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. race — humankind
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. cue — for pool
  19. net — for catching
  20. net — in sport
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. cue — a signal
  23. vault — a safe
  24. shower — rain

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