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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 120 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. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. rash — hasty
  3. craft — a skill
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. drill — a practice
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. net — in sport
  8. pop — music
  9. drill — the tool
  10. wake — a trail
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. craft — boats
  14. net — after costs
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. drill — army training
  17. pop — to visit
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. rash — a series
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. vault — a safe
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. pop — soda

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