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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. net — for catching
  3. net — in sport
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. fork — in a road
  6. spring — the season
  7. tear — to rip
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. board — to get on
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. spring — of water
  13. board — a committee
  14. tear — from crying
  15. spring — a coil
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. pass — a permit
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. tear — from crying
  23. vault — a safe
  24. rush — to hurry

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