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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. object — to protest
  3. net — for catching
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bore — to drill
  6. field — for sport
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. prune — to trim
  10. kid — child
  11. vault — a safe
  12. object — a thing
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. kid — to tease
  16. net — in sport
  17. object — an aim
  18. field — a subject
  19. field — farmland
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. prune — to trim
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. net — after costs

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