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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 116 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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  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. net — for catching
  2. vault — a safe
  3. file — a document
  4. fine — high quality
  5. file — a tool
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. hand — help
  8. mark — a grade
  9. current — of water
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. mark — a trace
  14. hand — in cards
  15. file — a line of people
  16. ball — a great time
  17. ball — a dance
  18. net — after costs
  19. fine — all right
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. current — electric
  23. current — happening now
  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