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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. pit — a hole
  3. firm — steady
  4. net — for catching
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. hand — in cards
  8. net — in sport
  9. can — to be able to
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. firm — decided
  14. kid — to tease
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. pit — in a race
  18. hand — help
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. kid — child
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. net — after costs
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. firm — a company

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