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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. kid — to tease
  4. net — for catching
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. clip — a video
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. kid — child
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. bank — for money
  12. board — a committee
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. clip — for paper
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bank — for money
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. clip — to cut
  19. vault — a safe
  20. net — in sport
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. board — to get on
  24. bank — of a river

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