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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. rest — a break
  5. net — in sport
  6. bass — low music
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. race — humankind
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. vault — a safe
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. race — the arms race
  14. fine — high quality
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. net — for catching
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. race — a contest
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bass — the fish
  21. fine — all right
  22. rest — what's left
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. cabinet — ministers

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