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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. net — in sport
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. wound — an injury
  5. net — for catching
  6. wound — an injury
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. track — to keep track
  11. net — after costs
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. vault — a safe
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. track — a song
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. track — a path
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. pitcher — a jug

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