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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 116 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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. vault — a safe
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. net — for catching
  6. net — in sport
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. bass — the fish
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. net — after costs
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. suit — in cards
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. bass — low music
  18. suit — clothes
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. suit — to fit
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. plane — a tool
  24. fan — a supporter

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