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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. vault — a safe
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. net — for catching
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. net — after costs
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. rest — what's left
  9. cue — a signal
  10. cue — a hint
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. prune — to trim
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — a break
  16. stock — goods
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. stock — shares
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. cue — for pool
  24. net — in sport

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