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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 124 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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  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. mark — a grade
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. firm — a company
  5. net — after costs
  6. mate — to breed
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. mate — a friend
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. firm — decided
  15. bass — low music
  16. vault — a safe
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. net — for catching
  22. mark — a trace
  23. firm — steady
  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