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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. shower — to wash
  4. firm — a company
  5. pit — in a race
  6. net — after costs
  7. net — in sport
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. scale — in music
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. vault — a safe
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. firm — decided
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. scale — size or range
  19. bass — low music
  20. shower — rain
  21. firm — steady
  22. pit — a hole
  23. bass — the fish
  24. stem — to come from

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