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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. pit — in a race
  3. deal — to handle
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. club — for golf
  6. vault — a safe
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. pit — a hole
  11. net — in sport
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. club — for dancing
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. net — for catching
  18. perch — the fish
  19. club — a group
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. net — after costs
  24. wake — a trail

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