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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: staff · perch · rash · vault · racket · net · mark · key

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. mark — a trace
  3. staff — employees
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. key — for a lock
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. net — for catching
  8. vault — a safe
  9. rash — a series
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — the fish
  12. net — after costs
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. mark — a grade
  17. staff — a stick
  18. key — the most important part
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. net — in sport
  23. key — in music
  24. staff — employees

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