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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. craft — boats
  5. degree — an amount
  6. plane — a tool
  7. net — after costs
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. rock — music
  12. rock — a stone
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. vault — a safe
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. degree — temperature
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. net — in sport
  19. bat — the animal
  20. degree — from a university
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. craft — a skill

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