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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. net — after costs
  3. present — the time now
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. net — for catching
  8. present — a gift
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. pop — to visit
  12. present — there
  13. net — in sport
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. pop — music
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. kick — in football
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. pop — soda
  23. fork — in a road
  24. leaves — to go away

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