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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. race — a contest
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. race — humankind
  6. race — the arms race
  7. tear — to rip
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. season — in sport
  12. vault — a safe
  13. tear — from crying
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. net — for catching
  16. net — in sport
  17. season — of the year
  18. plane — a tool
  19. roll — a list
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. roll — a cake
  22. tear — from crying
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. roll — on a roll

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