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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. net — after costs
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. land — to come down
  5. can — a tin
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. can — a tin
  9. net — in sport
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. pass — a permit
  12. land — ground
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. can — to be able to
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. land — a country
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. vault — a safe
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. net — for catching
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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