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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. deal — to handle
  3. net — after costs
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. net — for catching
  6. hand — in cards
  7. hand — help
  8. capital — money
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. court — for sport
  11. court — of law
  12. net — in sport
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. court — of a king
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. capital — a city
  23. rush — hurry
  24. vault — a safe

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