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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 120 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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. net — in sport
  3. net — for catching
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. hand — in cards
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. row — to paddle
  8. cue — for pool
  9. mate — a partner
  10. band — a ring
  11. band — a music group
  12. row — a line
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. mate — a friend
  15. cue — a hint
  16. spring — of water
  17. spring — a coil
  18. mate — to breed
  19. vault — a safe
  20. spring — the season
  21. net — after costs
  22. cue — a signal
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. hand — help

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