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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. board — to get on
  6. net — in sport
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. vault — a safe
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bulb — for light
  13. net — for catching
  14. bulb — for light
  15. game — wild animals
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. game — a match
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. board — a committee
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. bulb — of a plant

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