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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. net — after costs
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. net — in sport
  5. net — for catching
  6. vault — a safe
  7. fall — to drop
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. fall — the season
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. fall — to drop
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. wound — an injury
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. fine — high quality
  18. root — of a word
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. root — of a plant
  22. fine — all right
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. racket — for tennis

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