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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. net — in sport
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. net — for catching
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. squash — the sport
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rule — a law
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. vault — a safe
  18. track — a path
  19. rule — government
  20. track — a song
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. squash — to crush
  23. track — to keep track
  24. pitch — completely

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