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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. net — after costs
  3. chip — to eat
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. fine — high quality
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. cap — a lid
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. court — of law
  10. fine — all right
  11. present — there
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. present — a gift
  14. cap — a hat
  15. present — the time now
  16. pitch — completely
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. court — of a king
  19. cap — of ice
  20. court — for sport
  21. chip — for betting
  22. vault — a safe
  23. net — in sport
  24. pitch — a sports field

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