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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. court — of law
  4. branch — a division
  5. bass — low music
  6. net — after costs
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. rule — a law
  10. saw — the tool
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. saw — the tool
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. court — for sport
  15. bass — the fish
  16. rule — government
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. court — of a king
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. net — in sport
  23. vault — a safe
  24. branch — of a bank

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